Final programme for the Ramsar Oceania Regional Meeting

The Ramsar Convention as a tool for promoting the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands in the Oceania region

The main objective of the meeting will be to examine the various tools which the Ramsar Convention provides to assist countries with promoting its concept of "Wise Use of Wetlands", and to do this within the special context of the island states of the Oceania region. This will be done using the Convention’s Strategic Plan 1997-2002 and the relevant decisions (Resolutions and Recommendations) of the 6^th Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP) in Brisbane in 1996 as a basis for discussions. From these discussions the aim is to identify the major challenges for the Convention in the region and within each country and to recommend actions to address these.

Times
08.30 - 09.30	*** Registration - meeting venue ***
09.30 - 11.00	1. WELCOME CEREMONY AND STATEMENTS
09.30 - 10.30	Powhiri - Welcoming Ceremony - local Maori people - tangata whenua. Followed by a cup of tea.
10.30 - 10.50	1. Official Opening - Welcoming Statements (chaired by NZ as host country until Item 2)
10.30 - 10.40	1.1 Official opening - NZ Associate Minister for the Environment, Marie Hasler
10.40 - 11.00	1.2 Welcoming statements from the countries which represent Oceania on the Standing Committee of the Ramsar Convention and the Ramsar Bureau - PNG - Dr Navu Kwapena, DEC Australia - Stephen Hunter - Head, Biodiversity Group, EA NZ - Keith Thompson, Oceania Representative on the Ramsar Convention’s Scientific and Technical Review Panel Ramsar Bureau - Dr Bill Phillips, Deputy Secretary General
11.00 - 11.10	2. GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE MEETING
	2.1 Acceptance of Meeting Chair (PNG) and Vice Chair (NZ) of the meeting.
	2.2 Adoption of agenda
11.10 - 12.30	3. Recent activities under the Convention at the global and regional levels and challenges for implementation within the countries of Oceania
	Session chair - Navu Kwapena (PNG). Session facilitated by Roger Jaensch - Wetlands International - Oceania Rapporteur - Rebecca D’Cruz, Ramsar Bureau
	3.1 Brief summary of the preparations for COP7 by the Ramsar Bureau, including details of relevant actions/decisions of the Standing Committee (Bill Phillips).
	3.2 Brief (3-5 minute) presentations by each country representative, on the key challenges for wetland management in their country. These to be based on the questionnaires provided in advance to Roger Jaensch.
	3.3 Brief (3-5 minute) presentations by each IGO and NGO on the key challenges for wetland management in the region/country. These to be based on the questionnaires provided in advance to Roger Jaensch.
	3.4 Summary conclusions by Roger Jaensch

Times	4. Theme A : Involving local and indigenous people in the conservation and wise use of wetlands
14.00 - 14.05	Session Chair - Stephen Hunter - Head of Environment Australia (Biodiversity Group). Brief introduction to issues. Rapporteur: Katherine Short, WWF-NZ
	Presentations:
14.05 - 14.15	4.1 Introduction to COP7 document on project which has developed Guidelines for involving local and indigenous people in wetland conservation and wise use Bill Phillips, Ramsar Bureau
14.15 - 14.25	Questions and answers
14.25 - 14.40	4.2 New Zealand case study Mr Harold Maniapoto Environmental Consultant - Waikato Conservation Board Member
14.40 - 14.50	Questions and answers
14.50 - 15.05	4.3 Community participation in the preparation of the management plan for The Coorong and Lower Lakes Ramsar site, Australia Ms Liz Thorburn, Environment Australia (Biodiversity Group), Wetlands Unit
15.05 - 15.15	Questions and answers
15.15 - 15.30	4.4 Case study - Arnavons Conservation Area, Solomon Islands Nathaniel Dawheya, Ministry of Forests, Environment and Conservation, Solomon Islands
15.30 - 15.40	Questions and answers
15.40 - 15.55	4.5 Crocodile harvest and wetland conservation in the Sepik floodplain, Papua New Guinea Veari Vali Kula, DEC, PNG
15.55 - 16.05	Questions and answers
16.05 - 17.00	4.6 Discussion of priorities for Oceania countries in four breakout groups chaired by the presenters as follows. Rapporteurs to be appointed in each group. Group 1 - Liane Ngamane, NZ Group 2 - Liz Thorburn, Australia Group 3 - Nathaniel Dawheya, Solomon Islands Group 4 - Veari Vali Kula, DEC, PNG
17.00 - 17.30	4.7 Presentations of conclusions from the breakout groups to the plenary
17.30	Day concludes

Times	5. Theme B : National and provincial planning for wetland conservation and wise use
09.00 - 09.05	Session Chair - Mr Bhaskaran Nair, Deputy Secretary for Local Government, Housing and Environment, Fiji Rapporteur: to be announced
	Presentations:
09.05 - 09.20	5.1 Introduction to drafts of the COP7 documents on Guidelines for developing National Wetland Policies and Reviewing legislation and institutions Rebecca D’Cruz, Ramsar Bureau
09.20 - 09.35	5.2 Vanuatu National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan project Leah Silas Nimoho (presenter), Donna Kalfatak & Russell Nari, Environment Unit, Vanuatu
09.35 - 09.45	Questions and answers
09.45 - 10.00	5.3 Whangamarino Wetland, New Zealand Tony Roxburgh, NZ DOC
10.00 - 10.10	Questions and answers
10.10 - 10.25	5.4 Australia’s Commonwealth Wetlands Policy and plans for a national framework of Policies involving all State/Territory Governments Marina Walkington, Environment Australia (Biodiversity Group), Wetlands Unit
10.25 - 10.35	Questions and answers
10.35 - 11.30	5.5 Discussion of priorities for Oceania countries in breakout groups chaired by the presenters as shown. Rapporteurs to be appointed in each group. Group 1 - Leah Silas Nimoho, Vanuatu Group 2 - Tony Roxburgh, NZ Group 3 - Marina Walkington, Australia Group 4 - if required (chair - to be announced)
11.30 - 12.15	5.6 Presentations of conclusions from the breakout groups to the plenary

Times	FIELD TRIP ITINERARY Note: Casual clothing and footwear is strongly recommended for the afternoon/evening. Delegates going to Waitomo Caves for visit and dinner will continue straight on from the field trip without returning to the hotel. Also note: these wetlands are not registered Ramsar sites. There is an opportunity to visit Ramsar sites on Friday afternoon after the meeting formally closes.
12.35	Depart Hamilton by bus
13.00	Arrive Lake Ngaroto - have lunch in Ngaroto Yacht Club. Listen to brief overviews of sites to be visited during lunch.
14.00	Commence field visits with commentary by speakers listed below. Party will probably split in half to have better communication and to minimise the impact on the sites. Lake Ngaroto - restored peat lake; ecological, cultural, historical significance. Speakers - DOC: Greg Martin, Conservator Waikato Conservancy Iwi: Harold Maniapoto Local authority and other agencies: Max Ward, John Greenwood, possibly others. Moanatuatua - scientific reserve; permanent freshwater nutrient poor acidic lowland riverine terrace restiad bog; remnant peat dome. Also Lake Serpentine (en route to Moanatuatua) Speaker - Landcare: Bev Clarkson
15.00	Two halves of the group swap sites and have afternoon tea
16.45	Visit Yarndley’s Bush - 14 hectares of kahikatea bush - one of the largest remnants of kahikatea forest, which covered much of the Waikato; demonstrates a forest wetland system Speaker - Landcare: Bruce Clarkson
17.30	Leave for Waitomo Caves (any delegates who wish to return to Quality Hotel instead will be transported back to the hotel at this point)
18.30-evening	Waitomo Caves and glow-worm visit, followed by barbecue at Roselands Restaurant, Waitomo. Return to Hamilton after dinner.

Times	6. Theme C : Harmonising the implementation of international environment conventions
09.00 - 09.05	Session Chair - to be advised Brief introduction to issues. Rapporteur: to be advised
	Presentations:
09.05 - 09.30	6.1. Overview of the status of membership of international environment conventions in the region, an analysis of the human resource impacts and consideration of ways to achieve more integrated implementation Sue Miller, SPREP
09.30 - 09.50	Questions and answers
09.50 - 10.10	6.2. Introduction to Ramsar’s Joint Work Plan with the Convention on Biological Diversity, its Memoranda of Understanding and Cooperation with other Conventions, and the recent report from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre on Harmonising the Information Management Infrastructures of the International Environment Conventions. Bill Phillips, Ramsar Bureau
10.10 - 10.30	Questions and answers
10.30 - ?	6.3 Brief statements from other Convention secretariats. Jim Armstrong, Deputy Secretary General, CITES Doug Hykle, Deputy Executive Secretary, Convention on Migratory Species
	Questions and answers
up until lunch at 12.30	6.4 Discussion of priorities for Oceania countries in breakout groups chaired by the following. Rapporteurs to be appointed in each group. Group 1 - to be advised Group 2 - to be advised Group 3 - to be advised Group 4 - to be advised

Times	7. Theme D - CONTINUED (9.00 - 10.30)
09.00 - 10.00	7.5 Discussion of priorities for Oceania countries in breakout groups facilitated by the presenters. Rapporteurs to be appointed in each group. Group 1 - Michele Bowe (WWF Australia) Group 2 - John Genolagani (DEC, PNG) Group 3 - Faizal Parish (Ramsar Bureau consultant) Group 4 - Sue Miller, SPREP
10.00 - 10.30	7.6 Presentations of conclusions from the breakout groups to the plenary, and conclusions.

11.00 - 12.30	Final Plenary - Meeting Chair (PNG) Rapporteur: to be advised
	8. Next steps
11.00 - 12.00	8.1 Conclusions of the meeting - priority actions which each country wants to pursue (short statements - 3 minutes each)
12.00 - 12.10	8.2 Ramsar Bureau - how COP7 will address these priorities and how the Convention can better respond to the needs of the region
12.10 - 12.30	9. Closing remarks
	9.1 Chair of the meeting - Navu Kwapena, PNG
	9.2 Ramsar Bureau - Bill Phillips
	9.3 Vice Chair of the meeting/host country - Joris de Bres, NZ
12.30	Meeting closed
12.30 -	Farewell lunch

1.30pm-7pm

Post-meeting optional Visit to Ramsar sites

DOC Waikato Conservancy will offer delegates the option of visiting Whangamarino Wetland and the coastal Firth of Thames Ramsar sites this afternoon, via mini-vans.

The trip will take place if there is sufficient interest from delegates. Delegates will be asked to register their interest in this trip upon registration on day one. Travel costs will be met by DOC. Delegates are advised to wear casual clothes and footwear, and take a small amount of money for a possible fish and chip takeaway stop on the way back.

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

). Posted 2 December 1998, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.

Times	6. Theme C - CONTINUED : Harmonising the implementation of international environment conventions
14.00 - 15.00	6.5 Presentations of conclusions from the breakout groups to the plenary, and conclusions.
15.30	7. Theme D : Frameworks for regional and international cooperation with special Consideration for training
15.30 - 15.35	Session Chair - Joris de Bres, General Manager - External Relations, DOC, New Zealand Brief introduction to issues. Rapporteur: to be advised
	Presentations:
15.35 - 15.50	7.1 Introduction to the draft Guidelines for International Cooperation under the Convention - a COP7 document Bill Phillips, Ramsar Bureau
15.50 - 16.00	Questions and answers
16.00 - 16.15	7.2 The Tri-Parks project (Indonesia-PNG-Australia) Michele Bowe (WWF Australia) and John Genolagani (DEC, PNG).
16.15 - 16.25	Questions and answers
16.25 - 16.40	7.3. Mobilising development assistance funds Faizal Parish - special consultant to the Ramsar Bureau
16.40 - 16.50	Questions and answers
16.50 - 17.00	7.4 SPREP’s role in promoting regional co-operation on wetland conservation and sustainable use Sue Miller, SPREP
17.00 - 17.10	Questions and answers
17.10 - 17.30	7.5 International NGOs and Ramsar in Oceania Wetlands International - Roger Jaensch WWF - Michelle Handley (to be confirmed) BirdLife International - John O’Sullivan Others - to be advised
17.30 - 17.45	Questions and answers