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Partnerships and synergies with Multilateral Environmental Agreements and other institutions

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28 Oct, 2008
13 Nov, 2022 en 28 Oct, 2008 en

Partnerships and synergies with Multilateral Environmental Agreements and other institutions

1.NOTING the benefits to be gained from synergy and integrated implementation, where appropriate, among environment-related conventions, at all levels: global, regional, national and local, and from mutually supportive collaboration amongst all relevant players, as increasingly recognized in Resolutions VII.4 (1999), VIII.5 (2002), and IX.5 (2005), while also RESPECTING the independence of the mandates embodied in each convention;
2.WELCOMING the progress made by the Ramsar Convention in the past triennium in cementing and expanding its cooperation with other Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and with other institutions working in fields relevant to the conservation and wise use of wetlands;
3.RECOGNIZING the generous support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for the "Strengthening the Implementation of the Biodiversity-related Conventions through the Strategic Use of Information" project, led by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), which with Ramsar participation is working to streamline and harmonize on-line tools for conventions and their secretariats;
4.NOTING that the 8th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in its decision VIII/20 invited the Ramsar Convention to take the lead in developing a framework for harmonized reporting on inland waters, and that UNEP and UNEP-WCMC have commenced this work, as acknowledged by decision IX/19 of the 9th meeting of the CBD COP;
5.ALSO NOTING that the 9th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD in its decision IX/27 invited the scientific bodies of the biodiversity-related conventions and the Liaison Group of Biodiversity-related Conventions (BLG) to address at their future meetings options for enhanced cooperation with regard to work on cross-cutting issues, such as climate change and invasive alien species;
6.WELCOMING the endorsement in its decision IX/19 by the 9th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD of the Fourth Joint Work Plan (2007-2010) between the Ramsar Convention and the CBD;
7.AWARE that 2010 has been declared the International Year for Biological Diversity by the United Nations General Assembly at its sixty-first session (in decision 61/203 of 20 December 2006) and that there are close links between wetlands and biodiversity;
8.ALSO AWARE that 2011 has been declared the International Year of Forests by the United Nations General Assembly at its sixty-first session (in decision 61/193) and that some wetlands are forested;
9.RECOGNIZING that the UNEP/IUCN TEMATEA project has developed "issue-based modules for the coherent implementation of biodiversity-related conventions" including the Ramsar Convention, which inter alia provides thematically-organized modules for inland waters, protected areas, biodiversity and climate change, invasive species, and sustainable use, designed to support collaborative national planning and implementation among conventions; and
10.EXPRESSING AGAIN ITS APPRECIATION to the five International Organization Partners (BirdLife International, IUCN, the International Water Management Institute, Wetlands International, and WWF International) for their invaluable efforts in the past triennium to support the Ramsar Convention globally, nationally, and locally;
The Conference of the Contracting Parties
11.REQUESTS the Secretariat to continue to cooperate closely with relevant conventions through its observer status in the Joint Liaison Group for the three Rio Conventions – the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) – and through the work of the UNEP Environment Management Group (EMG), of which the Ramsar Secretariat is a member;
12.ALSO REQUESTS the Secretariat to continue to be fully involved in the work of the Biodiversity Liaison Group (BLG) established under the aegis of the CBD and to report regularly to Standing Committee on progress achieved by this group;
13.ENCOURAGES the Secretariat to continue its close collaboration with the Secretariat of the CBD; URGES the Secretariat to pursue as actively as possible, time and resources permitting, the review and streamlining of its joint work programme with the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) and to explore development of a joint programme with UNCCD under the existing Memorandum of Cooperation; and URGES the Secretariat to review its joint programmes of work with the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme and the World Heritage Centre with a view to reinvigorating those collaborative mechanisms;[paragraph 13 amended by Annex 1 of Review of Resolutions and Recommendations of the Conference of the Contracting Parties]
14.INVITES the Secretariat to continue to develop cooperative relations with UN agencies such as UNEP, UNESCO, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UN-Water, the World Tourism Organization, and the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as with other relevant intergovernmental organizations such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), UNEP-WCMC, and the CGIAR networks, to seek membership in the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, and to seek to reduce duplicative activities;
15.***[paragraph 15 repealed by Annex 1 of Review of Resolutions and Recommendations of the Conference of the Contracting Parties]
16.ENCOURAGES the Secretariat to establish and strengthen partnerships to develop closer working relations with intergovernmental regional groups (such as, for Africa, SADC, EC, ECOWAS, IGAD, etc.) with a view to enhancing the role of the Convention in those regions;
17.ALSO REQUESTS the Secretariat to develop closer working and consultative relationships with financial institutions, such as the Global Environment Facility, regional development banks, other environment funding organizations, and other institutions such as the European Commission and its relevant divisions for environment and biodiversity funding, with a view to facilitating greater access to those resources by the Parties to the Convention;
18.URGES the Secretariat to continue its extremely valuable collaboration with the five International Organization Partners and ENCOURAGES the IOP representatives to take steps to increase awareness of Ramsar objectives and the collaborative relationship with the Convention to the greatest extent possible throughout their organizations, including coordination with IOPs’ country and regional offices, where appropriate, in the context of Joint Work Plans prepared with the Ramsar Secretariat;
19.FURTHER URGES the Secretariat to remain alert for opportunities for developing similarly fruitful relationships with other non-government organizations as they may appear and, following a review of MOUs already in place with other NGOs, to foster increased cooperation with those NGOs that can most benefit the work of the Convention;
20.REQUESTS the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP), subject to the availability of time and resources, to exchange information and coordinate activities with the equivalent subsidiary bodies of other MEAs and relevant regional fora, including through continued active involvement in meetings of the chairs of scientific and technical subsidiary bodies (CSAB) convened by the Secretariat of the CBD, and to report through the Standing Committee to the Conference of the Parties on these activities;
21.REQUESTS the Secretariat to continue its participation in the UNEP-WCMC project for developing tools for the on-line use of the biodiversity-related conventions, including those for possible on-line harmonized reporting by the respective parties;
22.ALSO REQUESTS the Secretariat and the STRP to continue to cooperate with the CBD Secretariat, UNEP, and UNEP-WCMC in the development of a framework for harmonized reporting on implementation on inland waters for the CBD and the Ramsar Convention;
23.***[paragraph 23 repealed by Annex 1 of Review of Resolutions and Recommendations of the Conference of the Contracting Parties]
24.***[paragraph 24 repealed by Annex 1 of Review of Resolutions and Recommendations of the Conference of the Contracting Parties]
25.URGES Contracting Parties to take active steps at national level to improve regular liaison and collaboration between Ramsar Administrative Authorities and focal points and the focal points for related conventions and agreements, including as appropriate through their inclusion in National Ramsar/Wetland Committees, in order to ensure national responses to global environmental issues that will be as consistent as possible with the objectives and values of the Ramsar Convention;
26.***[paragraph 26 repealed by Annex1 of Review of Resolutions and Recommendations of the Conference of the Contracting Parties]
27.REQUESTS that the collaboration between the Secretariat and the other conventions should include a provision for harmonizing their reporting needs with a view to lightening the burdens on the Contracting Parties.