6th Session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Agreement on the
Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA MOP6)

Highlights for Friday, 13 November 2015

On Friday, some of the AEWA delegates met for a tour around the old city of Bonn, while others took part in an all-day field trip to two nature reserves in the Lower Rhine area, near the Dutch border.

During the field trip, the avid birdwatchers enjoyed a warm welcome at the Biological Station at Krickenbecker Seen. Two competent local guides accompanied them on a short hike to two adjacent lakes. Several AEWA species made an appearance, including mute swans, shovelers, red-crested pochards and Canada, Egyptian and greater white-fronted geese.

The second stop was Bislicher Insel, a reserve of riverside meadowlands near the city of Xanten. In this old loop of the meandering Rhine, the ancient regime of periodic river flooding is restored, roads and houses are removed, and the area is once again teaming with waterbirds. Here, too, delegates strolled around in the visitor center before heading out under the able guidance of the local ranger. They marveled at the sound and sight of several hundred greater white-fronted geese, which were grazing in the meadows and flying overhead in golden sunlight.

In the evening, delegates attended a reception with food and drinks at the Town Hall in central Bonn. They heard short addresses by Gabriele Klingmüller, Deputy Mayor of Bonn, AEWA Executive Secretary Jacques Trouvilliez and AEWA MOP6 Chair Fernando Spina.

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Highlights for Thursday, 12 November 2015

AEWA MOP6 met in two parallel working group sessions throughout the day.

The Finance and Administrative Working Group was chaired by Chandanee Jhowry (Mauritius). It continued its deliberations of the draft budget proposal for 2016-2018 and the related draft resolution on financial and administrative matters. In the evening, this working group addressed synergies in the Convention of Migratory Species (CMS) Family.

The Scientific and Technical Working Group, chaired by David Stroud (UK), Chair of the AEWA Technical Committee, addressed eleven remaining draft resolutions, including on: proposed amendments to the AEWA Annexes; strengthening monitoring of migratory waterbirds; conservation and sustainable use of migratory waterbirds; conservation guidelines; and update guidance on climate change adaptation measures for waterbirds.

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Highlights for Wednesday, 11 November 2015

On Wednesday, 11 November, AEWA MOP6 met for its third day in Bonn, Germany.

In the morning, delegates convened in plenary to address financial and administrative matters, and issues affecting the conservation status of migratory waterbirds in the AEWA region, including renewable energy technologies deployment and marine fisheries. During a brief ceremony led by Nick Williams, CMS Secretariat, Croatia and Israel signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia (Raptors MoU).

In the afternoon, the working groups on finance and administrative matters and on scientific and technical matters started their work in parallel. The former working group, which was closed to observers, discussed the draft budget proposal for 2016-2018, including four possible budget scenarios. The latter discussed twelve draft resolutions, suggesting minor amendments.

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Highlights for Tuesday, 10 November 2015

AEWA MOP6 convened for its second day in Bonn, Germany, on Tuesday, 10 November 2015.

In the morning, delegates considered relevant outcomes of Ramsar COP12, implementation of the Plan of Action for Africa, implementation of the Strategic Plan and analysis and synthesis of national reports.

In the afternoon, delegates considered international reviews, the Implementation Review Process (IRP), the report on the implementation and revision of the International Implementation Tasks (IITs), proposals for amendments to the Agreement, waterbird monitoring along the African-Eurasian flyways, International Single Species Actions Plans (ISSAPs) and International Multi-Species Actions Plans and Management Plans (IMSAPs), conservation guidelines, guidance and definitions, and the implementation of the Communication Strategy and adoption of the new Communication Strategy.

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Highlights for Monday, 9 November 2015

The sixth Meeting of the Parties (MOP6) to the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) opened today in Bonn, Germany, under the theme “Making flyway conservation happen.”

In the morning, delegates heard opening statements. Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), addressed the meeting via video. He linked AEWA to the Sustainable Development Goals, noting that biodiversity conservation is a prerequisite for sustainable development. Jacques Trouvilliez, AEWA Executive Secretary, stated that AEWA has much to be proud of but that “the path ahead remains long.” Subsequently, delegates addressed organizational matters.

The 2015 Waterbird Conservation Awards were presented to: Abdoulaye Ndiaye, for his work on wetland management and bird conservation across Africa; and the Association Inter-Villageoise du Ndiaël (the Inter-village Association of the Ndiaël), for floodplain restoration efforts by villagers near the special wildlife reserve of the Ndiaël, a Ramsar site in Senegal.

In the afternoon, delegates heard reports from AEWA bodies and UNEP, and discussed, inter alia, CMS developments relevant to AEWA and the common CMS/AEWA information management, communication and awareness-raising unit.

They also attended an AEWA 20th Anniversary Celebration Ceremony, with presentations from: Gerard Boere, Honorary Patron of AEWA; Melissa Lewis, Tilburg University; Jesper Madsen, University of Denmark; Abdoulaye Ndiaye, AEWA African Initiative; and Nicola Crockford, BirdLife International. Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, German State Secretary for Environment, addressed challenges in migratory species conservation, highlighting successful past and ongoing AEWA initiatives. She stressed the need to increase the number of AEWA contracting parties.

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