30th Meeting of the Ramsar Standing Committee Gland, Switzerland, 13-16 January 2004

[Carpathian initiative]

30th Meeting of the Ramsar Convention Standing Committee

I would like to inform members of the Standing Committee and delegates of Contracting Parties about the regional initiative for promotion of implementation of the Ramsar Convention and newly signed Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians in this mountain range.

The Carpathians are the largest mountains in Europe with big natural and ecological values, important for biodiversity, an essential habitat and refuge for many endangered species of plants and animals, the headwaters of major rivers and Europe's largest area of virgin forests and also with important mountain wetlands. In previous years there have been many activities and initiatives to improve protection and sustainable development in this region, as the WWF International Danube-Carpathian Programme, initiatives of governments supported by UNEP Regional Office for Europe and the Alpine Convention as a model, resulted in signing of the Carpathian Convention by ministers of Environment of Carpathian countries in May last year in the ministerial conference in Kiyv, Ukraine.

During the International Year of Mountains and Slovakian representation in the Ramsar Standing Committee in fall 2002, the Slovak State Nature Conservancy submitted to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs a project proposal on a Network of Carpathian Protected Areas and Ramsar Sites to help the starting process of regional cooperation. We informed about this initiative the delegates of the 8th Meeting of the Conference of Parties in Valencia, Spain, in November 2002 during the European Regional session. We are grateful to the Norwegian Government for selecting this transborder Carpathian project and for its funding. The project started in September last year and it is planned for one year only to support the process of networking and cooperation in the field of biodiversity, protected areas and wetlands protection and river basin management.

The project is aimed at implementation of both conventions, particularly articles of the Carpathian convention on conservation and sustainable use of biological and landscape diversity and on sustainable and integrated water/river basin management, and of course Article 5 of the Ramsar Convention, the Ramsar Strategic Plan 2003-2008 and its Work Plan 2003-2005, and resolutions of the last COP8. These include:

Res. VIII.10 on improving implementation of the Strategic Framework and Vision for the Ramsar List;
Res. VIII.11 on additional guidance for identifying and designating under-represented wetland types as Ramsar sites (examples of such types as peatlands, wet grasslands, subterranian karst and cave hydrological systems, alpine wetlands can be found in the Carpathians);
Res. VIII.12 on enhancing the wise use and conservation of mountain wetlands;
Res. VIII.30 on regional initiatives for the further implementation of the Convention etc.

At the end of the last year we contacted the Ramsar Administrative Authorities and some experts of all Carpathian countries and distributed a questionnaire about expectations and suggestions on priorities and needs in cooperation in wetland and Ramsar issues and we received first reactions and consulted this with some delegates also here during this meeting.

Based on these suggestions we would like to prepare a long-term sustainable project and funding of identified gaps and/or priorities in protected areas, Ramsar sites and wetlands protection and wise use, sharing experience, exchange and cooperation

The MedWet initiative is a good example of regional cooperation, we would like to learn from their experience and attitude. Other regional initiatives are in progress and it would be a pleasure for us to consult with them.

One of the results of our project is establishment of the Wetland Centre in Slovakia with a national (and if agreed Carpathian) coordination role in wetland and Ramsar Convention issues.

Any advice and recommendations are welcome and I would be very grateful for any possibility to consult on the development of the project and proposals for its further funding. We would be delighted if the support of this initiative is included in the Ramsar Secretariat Work Plan.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to inform you about this project, to learn from the experience of other countries and initiatives and I look forward to cooperating with you in the future.