Record participation at the 62nd meeting of the Standing Committee

The 62nd meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on Wetlands (SC62), which concluded on Friday 8 September 2023, featured strong engagement from Contracting Parties. The meeting witnessed an exceptional gathering of 122 delegates representing Contracting Parties and a further 21 representatives of Observer organizations, marking a historic high number in terms of participation. 

One of the standout moments of the meeting was the approval of the dates for the 15th meeting of the Conference of Contracting Parties to the Convention (COP15), which is scheduled to be held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe from 23 to 31 July 2025. This marks the second time the COP will be hosted in Africa, the last being COP9 that took place in Kampala, Uganda in 2005.

Additionally, during the meeting, the Standing Committee approved the establishment as a Ramsar Regional Initiative of the International Mangrove Centre in Shenzhen that was introduced last year by China at COP14. The Centre will benefit its members through fostering international cooperation and dialogue on mangrove conservation, thereby strengthening the global efforts to protect, restore and wisely use this important ecosystem.

The next meeting of the Standing Committee (SC63) will take place at the Secretariat headquarters in Gland, Switzerland, from 3 to 7 June 2024.

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