BONN CONVENTION

BONN CONVENTION
CMS (Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of
Wild Animals).

The Convention was signed in 1979 in Bonn, Germany and

entered into force in 1983.

Its membership has grown steadily to include 92 Parties from

Africa, Central and South America, Asia, Europe.
 BACKGROUND
Migration of species.
Animals cross political boundaries between nations, it has a dramatic
influence on their annual life-cycles and their individual survival chances
Migratory species are dependent on the specific sites that they find at the end
of their journey and along the way.
Increasingly these sites are threatened by man-made disturbances and habitat
degradation.
1972: Conference on the Human Environment, recognized the need for
countries to co-operate in the conservation of animals that migrate across
national boundaries .This recommendation resulted in the Convention on the
Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals
1983: This Convention, commonly referred to as the Bonn Convention,
 AIM / OBJECTIVE
Objective: Is to conserve terrestrial, marine and avian
migratory species throughout their range.

Wild animals require special attention because of their

importance from the environmental, ecological, genetic,
cultural, educational, social and economic points of view.

Also concerned with the conservation of habitats of wild

animals on a global scale
 APPENDICES OF CMS
Appendix I of the convention
– Migratory species threatened with extinction
– CMS Parties strive towards strictly protecting these animals, conserving or
restoring the places where they live, mitigating obstacles to migration and
controlling other factors that might endanger them. Besides establishing obligations
for each State joining the Convention, CMS promotes concerted action among the
Range States of many of these species.

Appendix II of the Convention

Migratory species that need or would significantly benefit from international
cooperation
For this reason, the Convention encourages the Range States to conclude global or
regional Agreements. In this respect, CMS acts as a framework Convention. The
Agreements may range from legally binding treaties (called Agreements) to less
formal instruments, such as Memoranda of Understanding, and can be adapted to
the requirements of particular regions. The development of models tailored
according to the conservation needs throughout the migratory range is a unique
capacity to CMS.
 CMS FORMATS
The CMS uses three formats for range state
cooperation

The Agreement

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

The Initiative
 The Agreement

This legally binding pact is the most formal of the

Conventions transactions.

Agreements are the primary tools for the implementation of

the main goal of the Bonn Convention.

 The aim of Several Agreements
under the auspices of CMS

• Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP)

• African – Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA)
• Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean
Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS)
• Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic and North
Seas (ASCOBANS)
• Agreement on the Conservation of Populations of European Bats (Eurobats)
• Agreement on the Conservation of Seals in the Wadden Sea (Wadden Sea
Seals)
• Gorillas and Their Habitats (Gorilla agreement)
 The Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU)

These documents are slightly less formal

Because they are developed in cooperation with the range states

where the endangered or threatened animals exist

 The aim of several Memoranda of Understanding
(MoU) under the auspices of CMS.

To conserve

• the Siberian Crane

• the Slender-billed Curlew

• Marine Turtles of the Atlantic Coast of Africa (Marine Turtles in Africa)

• Marine Turtles of the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia (IOSEA)

• Middle-European Population of the Great Bustard

• Grassland Birds
• the Bukhara Deer

• the Aquatic Warbler

• Cetaceans of the Pacific Islands Region

• the Saiga Antelope

• Western African Aquatic Mammals (Small Cetaceans and Manatees)

• Mediterranean Monk Seal

• West-African Populations of the African Elephant

• Dugong

• Ruddy-headed Goose
 The Initiative
Before an Agreement or MoU is developed, the Initiative provides a

way of opening discussions between range states about the species

of concern.

This phase meetings are held to bring out issues and potential

methods of addressing them. Dugongs, gorillas, raptors, sharks, and

West African aquatic mammals are all subjects of initiatives which

may lead to greater protection for them.

 INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE
Conference of the Parties (COP):
Is the decision-making organ of the Convention. It responsible for reviewing
implementation of agreements and MoUs, adopting budget resolutions and
amending species lists
Standing Committee:
Its functions are to provide policy and administrative guidance between regular
meetings of the Conference of the Parties.
Scientific Council:
It makes recommendations to the Conference of the Parties on such issues as
research on migratory species, specific conservation and management
measures,
Secretariat:
The Secretariat is the Convention's coordinating body. Develops and promotes
agreements, is responsible for disseminating information and organizing
meetings
 PROGRESS OF BONN
The UN Convention on Migratory Species has
declared 2007 the Year of the Dolphin, Parties
particularly focus on the conservation of the Mahakam
Wetlands in Indonesia
In winter (2009 ) teams of skilled volunteer observers
scouring more than 35 countries around the
Mediterranean, Middle East and the Indian
subcontinent in the hope of confirming the continued
existence of the Slender-billed Curlew. so now they
are safe from extintiion.
It is ensured that the threats to the Saiga antelope
during their long migrations are reduced