Resolutions of the Brisbane Conference

Resolution VI.6 on the Wetland Conservation Fund

6th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties
Brisbane, Australia
19-27 March 1996

Resolution VI.6: The Wetland Conservation Fund

1. RECALLING Resolution 4.3 establishing the Wetland Conservation Fund (WCF), and Resolution 5.8 on future funding and operation of the WCF;

2. NOTING WITH SATISFACTION that since its inception the WCF has provided assistance to 55 projects in 41 developing countries for a total amount of SFR 1,668,545;

3. EXPRESSING its appreciation to the Contracting Parties and partner organizations that have made voluntary contributions to complement the core budget allocation to the WCF, and to IUCN and Wetlands International for their assistance to the Bureau in the technical review of projects submitted to the WCF;

4. AWARE that the level of funding at the disposal of the WCF has not been sufficient to fund many of the projects that have been submitted to the Fund and that a renewed effort is required in line with the provisions of the Strategic Plan 1997-2002 to attract more contributions to the Fund;

5. CONVINCED of the important role that such a small grants mechanism would continue to play in support of activities in the field of wetland conservation and wise use that normally, because of the amount of funding involved, cannot be considered by most multilateral and bilateral funding agencies;

6. FURTHER AWARE that such a small grants mechanism, in order to be effective, has to be administered in a flexible and rapid manner; and

7. CONSIDERING that funding from the WCF should be available to all Contracting Parties eligible for receiving official development assistance (ODA) or official aid, since they may also require external funding for meeting their obligations under the Convention;

THE CONFERENCE OF THE CONTRACTING PARTIES

8. DECIDES:

(a) to rename the Fund the "Ramsar Small Grants Fund for Wetland Conservation and Wise Use (Ramsar SGF)", so as to convey the true nature and purpose of this funding mechanism;

(b) that all countries on the List of Aid Recipients established by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shall be eligible for receiving assistance from the Ramsar SGF;

9. AUTHORIZES the Standing Committee to review the functioning of the Fund, including the mechanisms for deciding on grant allocations, and to implement any changes in functioning which it considers necessary;

10. REITERATES its conviction expressed in Resolution 5.8 that the level of resources available to the Ramsar SGF should be increased to at least US$ 1 million annually;

11. REQUESTS the Secretary General to produce appropriate promotional materials and to embark upon an active fundraising campaign to obtain that minimum level of funding; and

12. INVITES Contracting Parties, partner organizations and non-governmental organizations to support the fundraising efforts of the Secretary General for this purpose, and those in a position to do so to contribute generously to the Fund.

For further information about the Ramsar Convention, 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 1 December 1996, updated 13 March 2000, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.