Resolutions of the Kushiro Conference

Resolution 5.5 on Establishment of the STRP

5th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties
Kushiro, Japan
9-16 June 1993

Resolution 5.5: Establishment of a Scientific and Technical Review Panel

WELCOMING the continuing growth in the number of Contracting Parties to the Convention, the increasing number of sites designated for the "List of wetlands of international importance", the establishment of the Ramsar database, and the growing importance of the Guidelines for the implementation of the wise use concept, the Monitoring Procedure, the Montreux Record, and the Wetland Conservation Fund;

RECOGNIZING that these developments, (with the addition at the present meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties of the "Additional guidance for the implementation of the wise use concept", the "Procedure for initial designation of sites for the List of wetlands of international importance", the review of the "Montreux Record", and "Guidelines on management planning for Ramsar sites and other wetlands"), are placing an increasing workload on the Standing Committee and Convention Bureau, who require authoritative scientific and technical advice from the Contracting Parties;

RECALLING that, at its Third Meeting, the Conference of the Contracting Parties established a working group charged not only with advising on the formulation and implementation of the Convention's wise use concept, but also with elaborating criteria and guidelines for identification of wetlands of international importance;

NOTING that the working group was reconstituted by Recommendation 4.10, at the Fourth Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties, as the "Working Group on Wise Use";

RECOGNIZING the valuable contribution to the Convention's work made by the Working Group on Wise Use;

FURTHER RECALLING Recommendation 4.7 of the Conference of the Contracting Parties which requested the Standing Committee "to investigate the need for a Convention Scientific Committee";

TAKING NOTE of the deliberations and conclusions of the workshops held at the present meeting, and of the report prepared by the Convention Bureau at the request of the Standing Committee;

THE CONFERENCE OF THE CONTRACTING PARTIES

DECIDES that a Ramsar Scientific and Technical Review Panel shall be established to give scientific and technical assistance to the Bureau and the Standing Committee and, through them, to the Conference of the Contracting Parties; and that the Scientific and Technical Review Panel shall perform the scientific and technical review tasks entrusted to it on an annual basis by the Standing Committee, for example:

• Review of the Bureau's annual scientific and technical programme;
• Review of the "Criteria for identifying wetlands of international importance", particularly as regards habitat for fish populations;
• Evaluation of the application of the "Procedure for initial designation of sites for the List of Wetlands of International Importance";
• Review of the "Montreux Record";
• Identification of priorities for application of the "Monitoring Procedure";
• Review of projects submitted to the Wetland Conservation Fund;
• Evaluation of the application of the "Guidelines for the implementation of the wise use concept" and of the "Additional guidance for the implementation of the wise use concept";
• Evaluation of the application of the "Guidelines on management planning for Ramsar sites and other wetlands";
• Consideration of a definition of ecological character and of guidelines on monitoring change in ecological character.

FURTHER DECIDES

• that the Scientific and Technical Review Panel shall be made up of seven members with appropriate scientific and technical knowledge, appointed on an individual basis for a three year term by the Conference of the Contracting Parties on the recommendation of the Standing Committee, with due regard for equitable representation of each region;
• that the Standing Committee shall make its recommendations on the membership of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel on the basis of nominations presented to the Bureau by the Contracting Parties, taking account of the need for some continuity in the membership of the Panel;
• that the Scientific and Technical Review Panel may seek specific advice from other scientific and technical experts from Contracting Parties and partner organizations;
• that IUCN and IWRB shall have the status of observer with the Scientific and Technical Review Panel;
• that the Scientific and Technical Review Panel shall meet at least once a year and shall report to the annual meeting of the Standing Committee, which shall include information on the work of the Panel in its triennial report to the Conference of the Parties;
• that the costs of participation in meetings of members of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel shall be covered by the authorities of their own country, except that participants from developing countries and countries whose economy is in transition may be met from the Convention's core budget or other appropriate sources;
• that, for the 1994-96 triennium only, the members of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel shall be appointed by the Standing Committee on the basis of nominations presented to the Bureau by the Contracting Parties; and

INSTRUCTS the Secretary General to inform the Contracting Parties of the timetable for submission to the Standing Committee of nominations for the membership of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel and to provide information to the Contracting Parties as to the disciplines which should be reflected on the Panel.

For more information about the Resolutions and Recommendations of the Montreux 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 18 January 1997, updated 6 March 2000, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.