Recommendations of the Cagliari Conference

Recommendation 1.8 on Proposed amendments to the Convention

The 1st Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties
Cagliari, Italy
24-29 November 1980

Recommendation 1.8: [Proposed amendments to the Convention]

The Conference

RECOGNIZING that the provisions of the Ramsar Convention are realistic as far as the land-use policies of the Contracting Parties are concerned;

CONSIDERING, however, that a number of amendments to the Ramsar Convention would facilitate the realization of its fundamental aims;

AWARE of its Recommendation 1.7, which aims to make it easier for the Parties to adopt such amendments;

RECOMMENDS that the adoption of the protocol referred to in Recommendation 1.7 should be followed as soon as possible by the consideration of the adoption of a further protocol to amend the Convention with a view to extending its effectiveness. The points identified by the Cagliari Conference as highly desirable to achieve this aim are provisions for:

1. periodic ordinary meetings of the Conference of the Parties as well as extraordinary meetings of the Conference as the necessity arises;

2. the adoption of rules of procedure by the Conference of the Parties and the attendance of observers, especially from international non-governmental organizations, at meetings of the Conference, along the lines of the Bonn Convention on Migratory Species;

3. the authority of the Conference of the Parties to adopt financial provisions to provide resources for the organization of meetings, the operation of the secretariat or for any other purpose;

4. the inclusion of an Appendix to the Convention containing the criteria for the selection of wetlands of international importance, and of a procedure for the amendment of this Appendix;

5. the authority of the Conference of the Parties to create subsidiary bodies, in particular a scientific committee; to utilize the outstanding expertise of IWRB; to adopt criteria, procedures and standards; and to decide on any additional measures that should be taken to implement the objectives of the Convention;

6. the establishment of a permanent secretariat;

7. additional functions of the secretariat, to be performed under the authority of the Conference of the Parties and in particular:

a) to promote and coordinate scientific and technical studies;

b) to make recommendations for the implementation of the aims and provisions of the Convention as well as to draw the attention of the Contracting Parties to any matter pertaining to this subject;

c) to maintain and promote liaison with the Parties and competent international organizations, as well as to maintain contact with non-Party States;

d) to prepare the work of the Conference of the Parties taking as a base in particular the reports of the Parties;

e) to produce technical guidelines and promote exchange of informa-tion in particular in the field of training and management.

8. The right of the Contracting Parties to make use of their faculty to adopt stricter domestic measures for the conservation of wetlands than those provided for in the Convention;

9. a procedure for the settlement of disputes;

CONSIDERS futhermore that initial preparation of this negotiation should be undertaken in parallel with the implementation of Recommendation 1.7 and invites its continuing Bureau, in consultation with the Contracting Parties, to undertake the necessary work to that effect;

INVITES Contracting Parties and those States which become Parties in the near future to make suggestion as to the Diplomatic Conference required to adopt these amendments.

For more information about the Recommendations of the Cagliari COP or the Ramsar Convention itself, 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 5 March 1997, updated 11 March 2000, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.