The
Ramsar LibraryThe Ramsar Convention Manual, 2nd ed. (1997)
file 2: Chapters 1-3
The
1997 edition has been superseded by the Ramsar Manual, third edition, 2004.
1.
The Ramsar Convention
1.1 What is the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands?
The Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty adopted on 2 February 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. Thus, though nowadays the name of the Convention is usually written "Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971)", it has come to be known popularly as the "Ramsar Convention". Ramsar is the first of the modern global intergovernmental treaties on conservation and wise use of natural resources, but, compared with more recent ones, its provisions are relatively straightforward and general. Over the years, the Conference of the Contracting Parties has further developed and interpreted the basic tenets of the treaty text and succeeded in keeping the work of the Convention abreast of changing world perceptions, priorities, and trends in environmental thinking.
The official name of the treaty, The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat, reflects the original emphasis upon the conservation and wise use of wetlands primarily as habitat for waterbirds. Over the years, however, the Convention has broadened its scope to cover all aspects of wetland conservation and wise use, recognizing wetlands as ecosystems that are extremely important for biodiversity conservation and for the well-being of human communities. For this reason, the increasingly common use of the short form of the treaty’s title, the "Convention on Wetlands", is entirely appropriate.
The Convention entered into force in 1975 and now has more than 100 Contracting Parties in all parts of the world. Approximately 900 wetlands have been designated for inclusion in the List of Wetlands of International Importance, covering some 65 million hectares.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) serves as Depositary for the Convention, but its administration has been entrusted to a secretariat known as the "Ramsar Bureau", which is hosted by IUCN–The World Conservation Union in Gland, Switzerland, under the authority of a Standing Committee chosen by the Contracting Parties to the Convention.
The Ramsar Convention maintains close contacts with the other global environmental conventions, including:
Wetlands are areas where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and the associated plant and animal life. They occur where the water table is at or near the surface of the land, or where the land is covered by shallow water.
The Ramsar Convention takes a broad approach in determining the wetlands which come under its aegis. Under the text of the Convention (Article 1.1), wetlands are defined as:
"areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres".
In addition, the Convention (Article 2.1) provides that wetlands:
"may incorporate riparian and coastal zones adjacent to the wetlands, and islands or bodies of marine water deeper than six metres at low tide lying within the wetlands".
Five major wetland systems are generally recognized:
In addition, there are human-made wetlands such as fish and shrimp ponds, farm ponds, irrigated agricultural land, salt pans, reservoirs, gravel pits, sewage farms and canals.
Wetlands occur in every country, from the tundra to the tropics. How much of the earth’s surface is presently composed of wetlands is not known exactly. The World Conservation Monitoring Centre has suggested an estimate of about 570 million hectares (5.7 million km2 ) – roughly 6% of the Earth’s land surface – of which 2% are lakes, 30% bogs, 26% fens, 20% swamps, and 15% floodplains. Mangroves cover some 240,000 km2 of coastal area, and an estimated 600,000 km2 of coral reefs remain worldwide.
Wetlands are among the world’s most productive environments. They are cradles of biological diversity, providing the water and primary productivity upon which countless species of plants and animals depend for survival. They support high concentrations of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrate species. Of the 20,000 species of fish in the world, more than 40% live in fresh water. Wetlands are also important storehouses of plant genetic material. Rice, for example, which is a common wetland plant, is the staple diet of more than half of humanity.
In addition, wetlands are important, and sometimes essential, for the health, welfare and safety of people who live in or near them. They are amongst the world’s most productive environments and provide a wide array of benefits.
(a) Functions
The interactions of physical, biological and chemical components of a wetland, such as soils, water, plants and animals, enable the wetland to perform certain functions, for example:
(b) Values
Wetlands provide tremendous economic benefits, for example:
In addition, wetlands have special attributes as part of the cultural heritage of humanity: they are related to religious and cosmological beliefs, constitute a source of aesthetic inspiration, provide wildlife sanctuaries, and form the basis of important local traditions.
These functions, values, and attributes can only be maintained if the ecological processes of wetlands are allowed to continue functioning. Unfortunately, and in spite of important progress made in recent decades, wetlands continue to be among the world’s most threatened ecosystems, owing mainly to ongoing drainage, conversion, pollution and over-exploitation of their resources.
1.4 Why an intergovernmental convention on wetlands?
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was developed as a means to call international attention to the rate at which wetland habitats were disappearing, in part due to a lack of understanding of their important functions, values and attributes.
In addition, many wetlands are international systems lying across the boundaries of two or more States. The health of these and other wetlands is dependent upon the quality and quantity of the transboundary water supply from rivers, streams, or underground aquifers.
Human impacts on water sources, such as agricultural, industrial or domestic pollution, may occur at considerable distances from wetland areas, sometimes beyond the borders of the States affected. Where this occurs, wetland habitats can be degraded or even destroyed, and the health and livelihood of local people put at risk.
Many of the wetland fauna, for example some fish species, many waterbirds, insects such as butterflies and dragonflies, and mammals such as otters, are migratory species whose conservation and management require international cooperation.
Wetlands constitute a resource of great economic, cultural, scientific and recreational value to human life; wetlands and people are ultimately interdependent. As such, the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands needs to be stemmed, and measures taken to conserve and make wise use of wetland resources. To achieve this at a global level requires cooperative, intergovernmental action. The Ramsar Convention on wetlands provides the framework for such action.
1.5 Why do nations join the Ramsar Convention
Membership in the Ramsar Convention:
entails an endorsement of the principles that the Convention represents, facilitating the development at national level of policies and actions, including legislation that helps nations to make the best possible use of their wetland resources in their quest for sustainable development;
According to National Reports submitted by Contracting Parties, the Convention has frequently been instrumental in halting or preventing negative developments affecting wetlands. Recent examples include:
Several Contracting Parties have noted that their conservation efforts have been greatly assisted by the inclusion of a wetland site in the Montreux Record of Ramsar sites requiring priority attention (4.1.5). For example:
Wetlands need not be of international importance for the Ramsar Convention to play a part in their conservation and wise use. The very fact that a State is a Contracting Party to the Convention can be used to establish the necessary legislative and management framework to ensure the long term productivity and effective environmental functions of all its wetlands.
1.6 Who may join the Ramsar Convention?
Any State which is a member of the United Nations may join the Convention. Where a country does not belong to the United Nations itself, it can still join the Convention if it is a member of one of the United Nations Specialized Agencies, or of the International Atomic Energy Agency, or is Party to the Statute of the International Court of Justice.
No state is too small to join as long as it can designate a wetland which meets one or more of the Criteria for Identifying Wetlands of International Importance (4.1.1) adopted by the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention.
1.7 What are the commitments of Parties joining the Ramsar Convention?
Because wetlands are important for maintaining key ecological processes, for their rich flora and fauna, and for the benefits that they provide to local communities and to human society in general, the broad objectives of the Convention are to ensure their conservation and wise use. States which join the Convention accept four main commitments, which are:
1.7.1 Listed sites (Article 2 of the Convention. See Appendix 1)
The first obligation under the Convention is the designation of at least one wetland for inclusion in the List of Wetlands of International Importance (4.1), and maintenance of its ecological character.
The first and subsequent sites designated by each State are selected on the basis of their international significance in terms of ecology, botany, zoology, limnology or hydrology, as measured by reference to the Convention’s Criteria for Identifying Wetlands of International Importance.
1.7.2 Wise use (Article 3 of the Convention)
Under the Convention there is a general obligation for the Contracting Parties to include wetland conservation considerations within their national land-use planning. They are required to formulate and implement this planning so as to promote, as far as possible, the wise use of wetlands in their territory (4.2).
The Conference of the Contracting Parties has approved guidelines and additional guidance on how to achieve wise use (Appendices 12 and 13).
1.7.3 Reserves and training (Article 4 of the Convention)
States which join the Convention are required to promote the conservation of wetlands in their territory through the establishment of nature reserves on wetlands, whether or not they are included in the List of Wetlands of International Importance.
As well as the exchange of data and publications regarding wetlands, Contracting Parties are expected to manage wetlands for the benefit of waterfowl, and to promote training in the fields of wetland research, management and wardening (4.3).
The Convention calls for the establishment of strict protection measures for Ramsar sites and wetland reserves of small size or particular sensitivity. It places particular emphasis on the need to ensure that the ecological character of such areas is not placed at risk and on the need for zoning measures at larger Ramsar sites and wetland reserves (4.3.3).
1.7.4 International cooperation (Article 5 of the Convention)
Contracting Parties are obliged to consult with other Contracting Parties about implementation of the Convention, especially as regards transfrontier wetlands, shared water systems, shared species, and development aid for wetland projects (4.4).
1.7.5 Further interpretation of the commitments
The commitments of the Contracting Parties were further specified in 1993 by Resolution 5.1 of the Conference of the Parties ("Framework for the Implementation of the Ramsar Convention"), as follows:
(a) Conservation of wetlands
(b) Promotion of international cooperation in wetland conservation
(c) Fostering communication about wetland conservation
(d) Supporting the work of the Convention
1.8 The Ramsar Convention today
There are 101 Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention (as of July 1997) and 881 wetlands on the List of Wetlands of International Importance, covering a total of 62,768,355 hectares, an area larger that that of France or Kenya (Appendix 4).
Representatives of the Contracting Parties meet at least every three years (3.1) to discuss the implementation of the Convention and its further development, to consider national experiences, to review the status of sites on the List of Wetlands of International Importance, to promote cooperative activities, and to receive reports from international organizations.
The Convention is administered by a secretariat, referred to as the Bureau (3.3), an independent body hosted by IUCN–The World Conservation Union under the authority of the Ramsar Standing Committee. Its headquarters are located in Gland, Switzerland.
1.9 The Ramsar Strategic Plan 1997-2002
The 6th Conference of the Contracting Parties, held in Brisbane, Australia, in March 1996, adopted the Strategic Plan 1997-2002 which establishes that "The Convention’s mission is the conservation and wise use of wetlands by national action and international cooperation as a means to achieving sustainable development throughout the world."
The Plan includes eight General Objectives that in turn are developed into Operational Objectives which include 126 Actions to be carried out by the Contracting Parties, the Standing Committee, the Conference of the Parties, the Scientific and Technical Review Panel, the Ramsar Bureau and the partner organizations. The Strategic Plan 1997-2002 is available in English, French, and Spanish on the Ramsar Web site, and copies can be obtained from the Ramsar Bureau.
1.10 Synergy with other environment-related conventions
The Ramsar Bureau makes a special effort to develop synergy with other environment-related conventions and encourages the Administrative Authorities of the Ramsar Convention in each country to do likewise at the national level.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
In January 1996 the Ramsar Bureau and the CBD Secretariat signed a Memorandum of Cooperation, and in March 1996 the Ramsar Conference of the Parties approved Resolution VI.9 welcoming that Memorandum. In the operative paragraphs, the Conference of the Parties:
9. REQUESTS the Ramsar Bureau to give priority in its programme of work to the implementation of the Memorandum of Cooperation signed with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity;
10. ENCOURAGES the Administrative Authorities of the Ramsar Convention in each Contracting Party to contribute actively to achieving the goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity by ensuring that wetland biodiversity components are included into the plans, programmes or strategies, and specific projects elaborated at the national level in response to the requirements of the Convention on Biological Diversity;
11. INSTRUCTS the Ramsar Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) to exchange information, cooperate and coordinate activities with the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA), and to report, through the Standing Committee, to the Conference of the Parties on the results of such actions;
12. WELCOMES the invitation to consider the Ramsar Convention’s contribution to the implementation of the goals and objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity;
13. INVITES Contracting Parties to strengthen coordination of their approach to the two Conventions, so that Ramsar can contribute in the field of wetlands to the Convention on Biological Diversity’s broader work on conservation of global biological diversity; and
14. INVITES the Third Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, to be held in Argentina from 4 to 15 November 1996, to include in its agenda a report (by the Standing Committee or Bureau) on progress achieved and problems encountered in implementation of the Ramsar Convention for conservation of wetland biodiversity, thus noting the complementarity of interests of the two Conventions.
For the 3rd Conference of the Parties (COP3) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 1996), the CBD secretariat prepared a working document on collaboration between the two conventions, whilst the Ramsar Bureau prepared a technical information paper on Biodiversity and the Ramsar Convention, which was distributed at the Conference with the Ramsar Strategic Plan 1997-2002. The Chairperson of the Ramsar Standing Committee introduced these documents to the Committee of the Whole during COP3.
As a result, within the context of Decision III/21 on cooperation with other biodiversity-related convention, CBD COP3 decided:
(a) In relation to cooperation with the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance:
(i) to note the Strategic Plan for 1997-2002 adopted by the Conference of Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, in March 1996, which includes actions aimed at creating synergy between that Convention and the Convention on Biological Diversity;
(ii) to invite the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance to cooperate as a lead partner in the implementation of activities under the Convention related to wetlands, and, in particular, requests the Executive Secretary to seek inputs from the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, in the preparation of documentation concerning the status and trends of inland water ecosystems for the consideration of the Conference of the Parties at its fourth meeting.
The Convention of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention)
The Ramsar Bureau and the CMS Secretariat signed a Memorandum of Understanding in February 1997. The Memorandum sets out a number of areas for planned cooperation between the two secretariats, including joint promotion of membership; institutional cooperation on meetings, guidelines and other initiatives; joint conservation action for sites and species where concerns overlap; shared data collection and analysis; and possible new agreements concerning endangered migratory species. The two Conventions are cooperating especially closely in the framework of the Agreement on African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds.
World Heritage Convention
The Ramsar Bureau and the World Heritage officer in charge of natural sites maintain close working relations with a view to 1) liaison on specific joint actions concerning threats, management planning, and approaches to national authorities regarding sites shared between the two Conventions; 2) assistance in identifying potential sites for future designation under both Conventions; 3) coordination of reporting formats and reporting on shared sites; 4) mutual assistance in training workshops and funding initiatives; and 5) joint publicity efforts.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)
The Ramsar Bureau and CITES Secretariat have maintained regular contacts over the years. A Memorandum of Understanding to enhance cooperation is under consideration.
Convention to Combat Desertification
Wetlands are crucially important everywhere, and not least in arid lands. Thus the Ramsar Bureau is discussing synergy with the CCD Secretariat and is planning to attend the first CCD Conference of the Parties in October 1996, with a view to developing working relations similar to those already established with the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Other conventions and institutions
The Bureau also maintains contacts with, or participates in the work of, other conventions and institutions, such as the European Union, especially in the application of its Habitats and Species Directive to wetlands and the adoption and application of measures to link the Habitats and Species Directive to wetlands outside the states of the European Union; the Framework Convention on Climate Change; the Convention on the Conservation of the European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention); the Barcelona Convention and Mediterranean Action Plan; and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN Economic Commission for Europe concerning the implementation of the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy.
Coordination among conventions
The Ramsar Bureau has been attending the conventions coordinating meetings organized by UNEP and has welcomed the tendency of these meetings to focus less on purely administrative matters and more upon substantive coordination issues.
The Ramsar Bureau, together with the above-listed convention secretariats, has contributed financially to a study being carried out by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) on the feasibility of harmonizing reporting requirements under the different conventions.
2. A brief history of the Ramsar Convention
The initial call for an international convention on wetlands came in 1962 during a conference which formed part of Project MAR, a programme established in 1960 following concern at the rapidity with which large stretches of marshland and wetlands in Europe were being "reclaimed" or otherwise destroyed, with a resulting decline in numbers of waterfowl.
The MAR Conference was organized jointly by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (now IUCN–The World Conservation Union), the International Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Bureau, IWRB (now Wetlands International), and the International Council for Bird Preservation, ICBP (now BirdLife International).
Over the next eight years, a convention text was developed at a series of international and technical meetings, held mainly under the auspices of IWRB. Initially the envisaged convention was directed specifically at the conservation of waterfowl through the creation of a network of refuges, but as the text developed, conservation of wetland habitat (rather than species) took prominence. Finally, at the town of Ramsar in Iran, the text of the Convention was agreed and adopted on 2 February 1971.
The Convention entered into force in December 1975, upon receipt by UNESCO, the Convention Depositary, of the seventh instrument of accession to or ratification of the Convention. The Convention celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1996 and now has Contracting Parties from all regions of the world.
Since its adoption, the Ramsar Convention has been modified on two occasions: by a protocol (a new treaty which amends the original treaty) in December 1982 (2.2); and by a series of amendments to the original treaty, known as the "Regina Amendments" of 1987 (2.3).
The Paris Protocol was adopted at an Extraordinary Conference of the Contracting Parties held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris in December 1982. The Protocol, which came into force in 1986, established a procedure for amending the Convention and adopted official versions of the treaty in Arabic, French, English, German, Russian and Spanish. Almost all Contracting Parties have now accepted the Paris Protocol, and new Contracting Parties normally join the Ramsar Convention as amended by the Paris Protocol and the Regina Amendments (Appendix 1).
A series of amendments was accepted at an Extraordinary Conference of the Contracting Parties (3.1) held in Regina, Canada, in 1987. These did not affect the basic substantive principles of the Convention, but related to its operation: powers of the Conference, establishment of a Standing Committee, a budget, and a permanent Bureau or secretariat. These amendments came into force on 1 May 1994, although many States joining the Convention before this date operated the amendments on a voluntary basis. (Appendix 1)
2.4 A Ramsar chronology – key events
2 February 1971 The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat is signed by representatives of 18 nations meeting in the Iranian town of Ramsar.
January 1974 Australia becomes the first State to deposit an instrument of accession to the Convention.
December 1975 The Ramsar Convention comes into force four months after the seventh nation, Greece, deposits an instrument of accession.
August 1979 Contracting Parties are invited to prepare the first National Reports on the implementation of the Convention in their territories, for presentation to the First Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties.
November 1980 First Meeting of the Conference of Contracting Parties, Cagliari, Italy:
December 1982 A Protocol modifying the original text of the Ramsar Convention is adopted by an Extraordinary Conference of the Contracting Parties at the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris.
May 1984 Second Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties, Groningen, Netherlands:
October 1986 Paris Protocol enters into force (after acceptance by two-thirds of Contracting Parties in 1982).
May-June 1987 Extraordinary Conference of the Contracting Parties adopts the Regina Amendments.
Third (ordinary) Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties, Regina, Canada:
January 1988 The Management Guidance Procedure (then called the Monitoring Procedure) is established by the Ramsar Standing Committee at its fourth meeting in Costa Rica.
January 1989 Vietnam becomes 50th Contracting Party to the Convention.
August 1989 Ramsar publishes its first book, A Legal Analysis of the Adoption of the Implementation of the Convention in Denmark, by V. Koester (in the IUCN Environmental Policy and Law Papers series).
July 1990 Fourth Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties, Montreux, Switzerland:
December 1991 First Ramsar Regional Meeting (Asia) takes place in Karachi, Pakistan.
June 1993 Fifth Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties, Kushiro, Japan:
June 1993 Publication of The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands: Its History and Development, by G.V.T. Matthews.
October 1993 Publication of Towards the Wise Use of Wetlands, the report of the Wise Use Project, edited by T.J. Davis.
December 1993 Lithuania becomes 80th Contracting Party to the Convention.
January 1994 First meeting the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) takes place in association with the IUCN General Assembly in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
May 1994 Regina Amendments enter into force.
March 1996 Sixth Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties, Brisbane, Australia:
October 1996 The Standing Committee formally establishes 2 February as World Wetlands Day (the first official WWD activities are held in over 30 countries on 2 February 1997).
February 1997 Bahamas and Georgia both accede to the Convention on 7 February, becoming the 99th and 100th Contracting Parties.
Two Ramsar publications (4.5.2) provide a detailed background to the Ramsar Convention’s historical and legal development in particular:
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands: Its History and Development, by G.V.T. Matthews, 1993; and
The Legal Development of the Ramsar Convention, by C. de Klemm and I. Créteaux, 1993.
Both are available from the Ramsar publications distributor (4.5.2).
3. How does the Ramsar Convention work?
The implementation of the Ramsar Convention is a continuing partnership between the Contracting Parties, the Standing Committee, and the Convention Bureau, with the advice of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) (3.5) and the support of the NGO partners (3.9). Every three years, representatives of the Contracting Parties meet as the Conference of the Contracting Parties, the policy-making organ of the Convention which adopts decisions, resolutions and recommendations to improve the way in which the Convention works.
The "Framework for Implementation of the Ramsar Convention", first adopted at the 1984 Conference of the Parties (Recommendation 2.3), sets out the long-term commitments of the Contracting Parties to the Convention, the role of the Standing Committee, and the objectives of the Bureau. Subsequent meetings of the Conference update the framework in light of decisions of the Conference, and, within this framework, priority objectives are set for each coming triennium.
For example, Resolution VI.14 of the 1996 Conference:
3.1 The Conference of the Contracting Parties
Articles 6 and 7 of the Convention set out the duties of the Conference (see Appendix 1).
The Conference of the Contracting Parties is the policy-making organ of the Convention. Governmental representatives from each of the Contracting Parties meet every three years to receive national reports on the preceding triennium and to approve the work programme and budgetary arrangements for the next three years.
Representatives of non-member States, intergovernmental institutions, and national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) may participate as non-voting observers.
The Conference enables the Contracting Parties to hold wide-ranging discussions on implementation of the Convention and to adopt decisions in the form of resolutions and recommendations to improve the way in which the Convention works (Appendix 3).
The programme of each meeting of the Conference includes a series of technical sessions which analyze issues of importance in the field of wetland conservation and wise use, including further interpretation and development of the key Convention concepts. The technical sessions submit reports to the plenary session, which may lead to the adoption of resolutions and recommendations.
The proceedings of each meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties are published subsequently by the Convention Bureau. Amongst general Conference documentation, these contain:
Resolutions and Recommendations of the Conference of the Parties
Resolutions of the Conference of the Contracting Parties differ from Recommendations in that they concern the internal mechanisms of the Convention. They include decisions relating to the operation of these mechanisms, such as the establishment of subsidiary bodies or of procedures, and the adoption of the budget. They also include instructions from the Conference to its subsidiary bodies or to the Secretary General. Resolutions "decide" or "instruct".
Recommendations, on the other hand, are addressed to Contracting Parties, other States, or organizations. They are the expression of a wish of the Conference to see certain actions carried out. Recommendations therefore "request", "invite", "call on", "urge", or "encourage" the actions specified.
Both Resolutions and Recommendations may contain annexes that form an integral part of the decision.
National Reports
Recommendation 2.1 of the Conference of the Contracting Parties urges Parties to submit detailed National Reports to the Bureau at least six months before each ordinary meeting of the Conference.
The reports are summarized by the Ramsar Bureau in the form of regional overviews, which are submitted to the Conference as official working documents.
National Reports provide:
The National Reports are submitted in one of the three official languages and become part of the public record. Copies of individual National Reports, in the original language in which they were submitted, are available from the Bureau upon request.
To facilitate report preparation, the Standing Committee adopts an "Outline for National Reports" which is distributed by the Bureau well in advance of each Meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Moreover, Resolution VI.21 of the 1996 Conference of the Parties
"2. Requests that over the next triennium, the Bureau, in consultation with Contracting Parties:
(a) establish a review process that would revise, if necessary and appropriate, the guidelines on preparing National Reports . . . to maximize their contribution to the ongoing assessment of wetlands; and
(b) establish an agreed scientific process for assessing the state of wetlands resources nationally, regionally and globally; and
3. Recognizes the role that community groups and local NGOs can play in the process of the implementation of the Convention, and invites Parties to develop mechanisms by which NGOs may assist governments in achieving the Convention’s mission."
Ordinary meetings of the Conference of the Contracting Parties
- Cagliari, Italy, 1980
- Groningen, Netherlands, 1984
- Regina, Canada, 1987
- Montreux, Switzerland, 1990
- Kushiro, Japan, 1993
- Brisbane, Australia, 1996
- San José, Costa Rica, 1999
The Standing Committee of the Ramsar Convention was established by Resolution 3.3 of the 1987 Conference of the Contracting Parties. Its tasks, as set out in the "Framework for Implementation of the Ramsar Convention" (Resolution 5.1), are to:
The Standing Committee meets at least once each year, normally at the offices of the Bureau. It is constituted by not more than nine Contracting Parties nominated by the Conference:
In addition:
The core budget of the Convention includes provisions for assisting Regional Representatives and Alternates from developing countries and countries with economies in transition to attend the meetings of the Standing Committee.
The Ramsar Convention Bureau is the permanent secretariat for the Convention and carries out the day-to-day coordination of the Convention’s activities.
The Bureau is headed by a Secretary General who supervises the work of a small number (currently 15) of technical, communications and administrative staff. Ramsar staff members work in several languages (notably English, French, Spanish and German) and provide expertise in a range of disciplines. Consultants and interns are recruited from time to time.
The functions of the Bureau are to:
3.4 The Administrative Authorities and diplomatic notifications
Each Contracting Party is invited to designate a national agency to act as the Administrative Authority of the Convention in the country. The Administrative Authority is the focal point for communications with the Ramsar Bureau and the main agency responsible for the application of the treaty. It is expected that the Administrative Authority will consult and cooperate with as many other governments agencies and non-governmental institutions as possible in order to ensure the best possible results in achieving the goals of the Ramsar Convention (see 3.8, National Ramsar Committees).
Formal notifications concerning Convention business are transmitted by the Bureau through diplomatic notifications sent either to the permanent mission in Geneva or the embassy in Bern as determined by each Contracting Party. Copies of notifications are normally sent to the Administrative Authority in each Contracting Party. When a country has no diplomatic representation in Switzerland, notifications are normally forwarded to its embassy in another European capital or to the country’s permanent mission to the United Nations in New York.
3.5 The Scientific and Technical Review Panel
The Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) gives scientific and technical assistance to the Bureau and the Standing Committee and, through them, to the Conference of the Contracting Parties.
The Panel carries out specific tasks entrusted to it annually by the Standing Committee on the basis of the decisions of the Conference of the Parties. (The annual work plan of the STRP is available from the Ramsar Bureau and on the Ramsar Web site.)
The STRP is composed of seven members and seven alternate members with appropriate scientific and technical knowledge, selected from each of the Ramsar regions (3.7). Each member serves in his/her personal capacity rather than as a representative of a Contracting Party, and is appointed for a three-year term by the Conference of the Parties. Nominations from Contracting Parties are sought by the Standing Committee, which then makes a recommendation to the Conference.
The Panel is empowered to seek specific advice from other scientific and technical experts from Contracting Parties and partner organizations.
BirdLife International, IUCN–The World Conservation Union, Wetlands International, and WWF International contribute to the work of the STRP and participate in its meetings as observers.
The cost of participation in meetings of members of the Panel is normally covered by their respective Contracting Parties; in the case of participants from developing countries and countries whose economies are in transition, costs may be met from the Convention’s core budget or other appropriate sources.
The Conference of the Parties has requested the STRP to establish close working relations with the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) of the Convention on Biological Diversity and similar bodies that advise other environment-related conventions.
3.6 The Ramsar Convention budget
The Conference of the Contracting Parties reviews the financial regulations of the Convention and adopts a core budget for the next triennium at each of its ordinary meetings. The Convention uses the Swiss franc as its working currency. Draft budgets and explanatory notes are prepared by the Bureau and are submitted for endorsement to the Standing Committee prior to ordinary meetings of the Conference. The core budget basically covers the following costs:
So far the core budget has not covered any of the costs relating to the organization and running of meetings of the Conference of the Parties, which have been met in full by the host country of each meeting. Travel costs of COP delegates from developing countries and countries with economies in transition are met by voluntary contributions from other Contracting Parties.
The budget is approved by a two-thirds majority of the Contracting Parties present and voting at an ordinary meeting of the Conference. Each Contracting Party contributes to the core budget the same percentage that it contributes to the United Nations budget, on the basis of the scale approved by the UN General Assembly (Appendix 16).
The core budget for the triennium 1997-1999 is Swiss francs 2,658,000, 2,785,000, and 2,900,000 for each of the three years.
In addition to the annual dues paid by member countries to cover the core budget, the Ramsar Bureau receives voluntary contributions from Contracting Parties, NGOs and other donors to implement special projects or carry out contractual agreements. Examples include contributions to defray the costs of Management Guidance Procedure missions (4.1.6), to support projects through the Ramsar Small Grants Fund (4.4.6), and to carry out additional communication activities.
The Convention’s system of regionalization came into effect with the adoption of Resolution 3.3 (1987) on the establishment of a Standing Committee to oversee the implementation of the Convention between triennial meetings of the Conference of the Parties. Regionalization is a significant factor in the operation of the Convention, in terms of the structure of the Standing Committee, the organization of Bureau staff and duties, and the ways in which Contracting Parties cooperate through regional representation and meetings.
For technical and administrative purposes, the Ramsar Convention has established seven regions:
At the Ramsar Bureau, there is a Regional Coordinator for each of the following regions: Asia, Africa, Europe (both Eastern and Western), and the Neotropics. Issues related to North America are covered in part by the Regional Coordinator for the Neotropics and in part by other staff members. For the Oceania region, Wetlands International, with funding support from the Australian Government, has appointed a Ramsar Liaison Officer based in Canberra, who works in close collaboration with the Ramsar Bureau and in particular with the Regional Coordinator for Asia.
Regional meetings
Since 1991, Regional Representatives and Alternates in the Standing Committee have organized regional and subregional meetings, with the support of the Ramsar Bureau. Funding to cover the meeting costs, especially for travel and subsistence expenses, are either arranged by the Bureau or sought on a case-by-case basis. Occasionally the opportunity is taken to hold regional meetings among Ramsar Contracting Parties during conferences convened by other organizations.
Regional meetings bring Contracting Parties together to explore needs and opportunities and formulate recommendations for future activity by the Contracting Parties and the Bureau.
Regional Ramsar Meetings since 1991
| Region | Venue | Date |
| Asia | Karachi, Pakistan | December 1991 |
| Asia | Islamabad, Pakistan | May 1992 |
| Neotropics | Caracas, Venezuela | August 1992 |
| Europe, East & West | Lelystad, Netherlands | September 1992 |
| Asia | Otsu and Kushiro, Japan | October 1992 |
| Neotropics | La Paz, Bolivia | January 1993 |
| Africa | Djoudj, Senegal | March 1993 |
| Neotropics | Cayenne, French Guyana | April 1993 |
| Europe, East | Budapest, Hungary | March 1994 |
| Asia | Bogor & Pulau Rambut, Indonesia | March 1994 |
| Asia | Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea | June 1994 |
| Africa | Nakuru, Kenya | August 1994 |
| Asia | New Delhi, India | March 1995 |
| Europe, East & West | Varna, Bulgaria | May 1995 |
| Neotropics/N.America | Panama City, Panama | June 1995 |
| Africa, West | Dakar, Senegal | April 1997 |
| Asia | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (planned) | October 1997 |
| Africa, Southern | Cape Town, S. Africa | November 1997 |
| Europe, East & West | Latvia (planned) | June 1998 |
3.8 National Ramsar Committees
Recommendation 5.7 of the Conference of the Contracting Parties and the Strategic Plan 1997-2002 encourage Contracting Parties to establish National Ramsar Committees (or National Wetland Committees) which can:
- national wetland policies
- management of Ramsar sites
- application of the Montreux Record and Management Guidance Procedure mechanisms (4.1.5)
- inclusion of new sites in the Ramsar List
- submissions to the Ramsar Small Grants Fund (4.4.6)
In addition, National Committees may:
A considerable number of Contracting Parties have already established National Ramsar Committees, though they vary considerably in form from one country to another. For example, some committees consist of representatives of government agencies and relevant non-governmental organizations, sometimes also including individuals with relevant expertise, whilst others may be organized as governmental committees (including regional governments in federal States), or as essentially non-governmental bodies. Ideally, National Committees should include as many sectors of government and representatives of stakeholders as possible.
Information about existing National Committees and contact details can be obtained from the Ramsar Bureau.
The Ramsar Convention, through the Bureau and its other bodies, maintains close working links with other international, intergovernmental, and non-governmental organizations to achieve a strategic alliance for wetland conservation. The links with other environment-related conventions are reviewed in section 1.10.
UNESCO
The Bureau maintains close relations with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) which:
Partner Organizations and NGOs in general
The Convention, through the Bureau, works especially closely with four non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as partners which provide technical advice, field level implementation assistance, and financial support. They are:
The four NGO partners participate regularly as observers in all meetings organized by the Ramsar Convention, including the meetings of the Standing Committee, the Scientific and Technical Review Panel, and the Conference of the Parties.
In many Contracting Parties, there is also an "NGO constituency" around the Ramsar Convention that works with the government and is active in promoting and implementing the goals of the treaty. The Ramsar Bureau tries to maintain as much contact as possible with local, national, and international NGOs (in addition to the four partners listed above), though the sheer number of NGOs interested in wetland issues makes it difficult to respond in all cases to their expectations for cooperation and interaction.
An increasing number of national and international NGOs make a point of participating in the meetings of the Ramsar Conference of the Parties, which are perceived as good opportunities for networking and influencing government policy and action.
External support agencies
The Ramsar Bureau maintains active contacts with a number of external support agencies, such as the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility, and the regional development banks. All of them provide funding both for wetlands projects and for projects that affect wetlands. Contacts are also maintained with the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and with the European Commission.
Other agencies and initiatives
In addition, the Ramsar Bureau seeks to develop its contacts and working relations with other global institutions dealing with water resource issues in general and wetlands in particular. These include the World Water Forum, the Global Water Partnership, and the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI).
The
Ramsar Convention Manual, 2nd edition, is being published
to the Ramsar Web site in three individual parts, organized by a hyperlinked
table of contents. The 170-page printed book can be purchased for 17.50 pounds
sterling, US$ 26.25, from The IUCN Publications Unit,
219c Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, United Kingdom (tel +44 1223 277894,
fax +44 1223 277175, info@books.iucn.org).
A certain number of hard copies are available free of charge from
the Bureau for readers from developing countries and countries with economies
in transition. For further information, 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 16 April 1998, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.
