The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Reorganization of Wetlands International - the Americas

Announcement to the Wetlands Community in the Americas

Following a recent managerial re-organisation in its Headquarters office in Ottawa, Wetlands International – the Americas with immediate effect will be implementing interim governance and management measures designed to bring long term stability and future growth to the organisation in the America’s.

Interim Governance

Stew Morrison, a long-time champion of the cause of wetland conservation in the Americas has been appointed as interim chair of the Americas Council and will be assisted by a Council Management Committee comprising:

• Stew Morrison – Chair
• Linda Leddy
• Jon Kusler
• Kevin Erwin
• George Finney
• Jim Kushlan

The Council Management Committee will oversee the day to day management of the organisation and will be meeting on a monthly basis over the next six months.

Interim Management measures

On 29 February 2000, Simon Nash was appointed as interim Executive Director on a six-month secondment from the Africa Europe Middle East arm of Wetlands International. Simon will be based part-time in the Ottawa office and will work the remaining part-time in the Netherlands office of Africa, Europe, Middle East.

Ian Davidson will phase out his managerial responsibilities and will focus on scientific and technical programme development.

Mauricio Cervantes continues to head the Mexico office and Daniel Blanco will be our focal point in Buenos Aires.

Pablo Canevari

Many of you will now have learned of the tragic and untimely death of Pablo Canevari through illness. Pablo was key to setting up our South American programme and had recently returned to Buenos Airies to lead the development of Wetlands International in the region after spending 3 years working for the Bonn Secretariat. In his many years of conservation activity Pablo was largely responsible for establishing many of the wetlands and waterbird programmes throughout the region.

Pablo was synonymous with waterbird conservation and had earned the respect of his peers worldwide. We will miss his enthusiasm and commitment for conservation issues but above all we will miss him as a friend.

These are difficult and traumatic times for the organisation and we call upon the conservation community for support, patience and understanding as we re-group and re-establish ourselves as a major partner in the American conservation community.

Stew Morrison, Chairman

For further information about the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, 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 4 April 2000, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.