Key Documents of the Ramsar Convention

Diplomatic notification 2001/2: World Summit on Sustainable Development

Notification 2001/2

The Ramsar Convention and the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development

The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971) presents its compliments and has the honour to refer to the following:

The Ramsar Bureau wishes to encourage Contracting Parties, in the context of the national and regional preparatory processes for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, to take into account the contributions made so far by the Convention on Wetlands to the implementation of Agenda 21 and the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, as well as the potential that the Convention represents as a tool for sustainable development in its specific areas of concern.

To this end, the Bureau is pleased to forward to Contracting Parties a copy of the paper entitled: "Agenda 21 and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands", which was submitted to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs as a contribution to the preparation of the documents for the World Summit.

This report has been structured broadly around the advice provided by the Commission on Sustainable Development and the proposed "thematic review" which will be prepared to highlight accomplishments and identify gaps and deficiencies in the approaches being taken to the implementation of Agenda 21.

The Bureau very much hopes that this document can be put at the disposal of the lead agency and/or task force responsible for each country’s preparation for the World Summit, so that the role of the Convention on Wetlands is taken into account both in the reports of accomplishments and in the recommendations towards the outputs of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands respectfully requests that the content of the present Note be communicated to the competent national authorities and avails itself of this opportunity to renew the assurance of its highest consideration.

Gland, Switzerland, 6 March 2001

Enclosure: "Agenda 21 and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands"

For further information about the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, please contact the Ramsar Convention Bureau, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ramsar@ramsar.org).  Posted 4 March 2001, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.