Highlights and images for 17 February 2024

Wind, ice, and freezing rain did not deter the Committee of the Whole (CoW) of the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP14) from resuming on Saturday morning. It also did not prevent delegates from achieving a compromise on references to “developing countries” in the conference room papers (CRPs) regarding the new Strategic Plan for Migratory Species and plastic pollution. The CoW approved the remaining CRPs and came to a close in the early afternoon, with CoW Chair Colin Galbraith (UK) receiving a standing ovation (and a camel-wool scarf) for his tireless work with the CMS over the last thirty years.

The COP plenary opened mid-afternoon and adopted by consensus all proposed resolutions, decisions, and amendments to the Appendices forwarded from the CoW. Of particular significance was the adoption of a landmark resolution on deep-sea mining that urges CMS parties not to engage in or support deep-sea mining until there is sufficient and robust scientific information regarding its impacts on migratory species.

The COP also added 14 new species, subspecies, and populations to the CMS Appendices, including 10 to Appendix I: the Balkan Lynx; Lahille’s Bottlenose Dolphin; the Baltic Proper population of the Harbour Porpoise; the Peruvian Pelican; the Magellanic Plover; the Southern African population of the Bearded Vulture; the Sand Tiger Shark; and the Mediterranean populations of the Blackchin Guitarfish, Bull Ray, and Lusitanian Cownose Ray.

Against the backdrop of the worrying findings of the first report on the State of the World’s Migratory Species, closing remarks emphasized the significant progress made during COP14 but cautioned that successful implementation requires adequate resources. Several parties called on others to pay their arrears and contributions in a timely manner, while others emphasized the challenges faced by developing countries. The UK announced additional contributions to support work on climate change and migratory species, as well as to support the participation of eligible delegates to CMS meetings.

COP President Aziz Abdukhakimov reminded delegates that the conference motto, “nature knows no borders, is not just a bold statement but a necessity and a responsibility.” He reiterated his country’s commitment to working collaboratively, particularly within the Central Asian region, to protect migratory species.

Thanking all delegates and local staff for their efforts, CMS Executive Secretary Amy Fraenkel noted that supporting the CMS “is a good investment,” as evidenced by the accomplishments of the week. Turning to the Uzbek presidency, she said, “You wanted this to be the best CMS COP ever. Well, I believe you’ve succeeded.” The COP was gavelled to a close at 5:52 pm.