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10th Conference of Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
Changwon, Republic of Korea | 28 October-4 November 2008
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Ramsar COP-10 Opens in Changwon
The tenth meeting of Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP 10) opened on the evening of Tuesday, 28 October 2008, at the Changwon Convention Center in Changwon, Republic of Korea, and will continue until 4 November. The theme of the conference is "Healthy Wetlands, Healthy People."
The opening ceremony included traditional drums, dance and music performances, an address by Lee Myung-bak, President of the Republic of Korea, the announcement of the winners of the 2009 Ramsar Wetlands Awards, and the launch of the Danone-Evian Fund for Nature, which will support water resource management, carbon sequestration capacity and ecosystems.
Above: Children from the 10 countries which have hosted Ramsar COPs presented the message of COP 10.
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Tuesday, 28 October
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Opening Ceremony
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The "Little Angels" entertained participants with drumming, song and dance.
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Korean pop singers also entertained delegates.
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Lee Maanee, Minister of Environment, Republic of Korea, received the Ramsar flag from Maria Mutagamba, Minister of Water and Environment, Uganda, before making his remarks.
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Kim Tae-ho, Governor of Gyeongnam, urged parties to tackle wetland degradation.
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Anada Tiéga, Ramsar Executive Secretary, encouraged parties to build partnerships.
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Lee Myung-bak, President of the Republic of Korea, introduced his country's Green Growth policy.
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Chung Jong-hwan, Minister of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, Republic of Korea, highlighted
that wetland conservation is at the core of Korea's Green Growth policy.
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Choo Mi-ae, National Assembly Chairperson, Environment and Labor Committee, Republic of Korea,
stressed the harmonization of environment and human beings.
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Julia Martin-Lefèvre, IUCN Director-General, delivered a message from the recent IUCN World Conservation Congress
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David Coates, on behalf of CBD Executive Secretary Ahmed Djoghlaf, supported an integrated approach on water, wetlands, biodiversity and climate change.
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UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner hailed the role of NGOs and the private sector in the Convention's evolution.
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Ramsar Wetland Conservation Awards 2008
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Groupe Danone CEO Franck Riboud, Ramsar Executive Secretary Anada Tiéga, Ramsar Standing Committee Chair Paul Mafabi and Environment Minister Lee Maanee, Republic of Korea, during the awards ceremony.
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Minister Lee presented the award for education to Sansanee Choowaew, Mahidol University, Thailand.
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Standing Committee Chair Mafabi pinned a Ramsar Award pin on Denis Landenbergue, WWF International, winner of the award for management.
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Minister Lee presented the award for science to David Pritchard, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and BirdLife International.
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Minister Lee presented the Recognition of Excellence award to Jan Květ, Czech Republic.
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Danone-Evian Fund for Nature Signing
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Julia Martin-Lefèvre, IUCN, Ramsar Executive Secretary Anada Tiéga and Groupe Danone CEO Franck Riboud shook hands after signing an agreement launching the Danone-Evian Fund for Nature.
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Around the Opening Ceremony
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Kim Tae-ho, Maria Mutagamba and Choo Mi-ae watched the awards ceremony.
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Ramsar Award winners Sansanee Coowaew and Jan Květ posed with members of the Czech delegation after the ceremony.
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