The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Resolution IX.17 on review of COP decisions

Resolution IX.17

Review of the decisions of the Conference of the Contracting Parties

1. RECALLING that a considerable body of material on technical, scientific, and policy guidance has been adopted by the previous meetings of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP);

2. ALSO RECALLING that in Resolution VIII.45 the Parties directed the Standing Committee to undertake a general review of the effectiveness of the process of drafting, considering, adopting and implementing Resolutions and Recommendations adopted by the 6th, 7th, and 8th meetings of the COP;

3. FURTHER RECALLING that it is clear that there are some overlaps and redundancies in the accumulated guidance, advice and policy of the Convention as adopted in Resolutions and Recommendations of the COP; and

4. AWARE that a priority task identified for the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) in 2006-2008 in Resolution IX.2 is to "review the range of existing Ramsar guidance, with a view inter alia to: identifying gaps, repackaging older guidance into updated documents, and proposing retiring or withdrawing outdated documents";

THE CONFERENCE OF THE CONTRACTING PARTIES

5. INSTRUCTS the Secretariat to undertake, with the Standing Committee and the Scientific and Technical Review Panel, a review of the decisions taken since the first Conference of the Parties with a view to identifying specific areas of conflicting advice or policy, redundancy, and differing interpretation or conflict, and that such a review should be completed within the coming triennium and the results presented to COP10 for decision;

6. INSTRUCTS the Secretariat to develop appropriate Terms of Reference, advise whether a service provider will be required, and identify potential service provider(s) for consideration by Standing Committee at its 34th meeting, and INSTRUCTS the Standing Committee to review and approve the Terms of Reference as deemed appropriate, approve any appropriate service provider(s), and agree a budget; and

7. AGREES that the review is to focus on the Resolutions and Recommendations of the COP and is not to include a review of the text of the Convention itself, and that such a review should, if practicable, be delivered in conjunction with the STRP's proposed review of existing Ramsar guidance.