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Ramsar COP9 9th Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
Kampala, Uganda | 8-15 November 2005
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Delegates Debate, Drum and Dance Delight at COP9

Ramsar COP9 delegates met in Plenary sessions to consider remaining draft resolutions in the morning and late afternoon. Technical sessions on applying the wise use principle in integrated water management and on culture and knowledge in wetland management were held in the afternoon. An informal Ministerial Dialogue took place throughout the day. Parties also convened in contact groups on cultural values, conservation and wise use of fish resources, national systems of protected areas, and avian flu; and in regional meetings to finalize nominations for the 2006-2008 Standing Committee. Above: dancers and drummers from the Kabira Wetland Management Association in southern Uganda, who performed wetland-themed dances from Uganda and South Africa at the beginning and end of the lunch break.


Saturday, 12 November
Plenary

Li Jiechuan, China, welcomed inclusion of the International Water Management Institute as a new International Organization Partner.

Bruce Gray, Australia, urged terms of reference be developed and a timetable be set to complete the review of COP decisions before COP10.

Douglas Taylor, Wetlands International, suggested the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) to participate in the review, and suggested reference to ways of holding Parties accountable for COP resolutions.

Anderson Koye, Kenya, said the review is aimed at avoiding duplication of COP decisions.

Susana Calvo Roy, Spain, said the Standing Committee should send an expert to the COP to define how the COP can contribute to the STRP's work.

Clayton Rubec, Canada, expressed concern over budget implications of the Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) Oversight Panel.

"Pom" Onoora, Thailand, proposed organizing subregional meetings to discuss common interests for further discussion at regional fora.

Jamie Pittock, WWF, welcomed Draft Resolution 21 Rev.1 on integrated, cross-biome planning and management of wetlands, especially in small island developing States.

Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland, announced withdrawal of Draft Resolution 23 on Wetlands of the Antarctic, but called for information exchange with the Arctic Council and the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat on polar wetlands conservation.

Nik Kiddle, New Zealand, noted the absence of information on cost implications of managing wetlands and waterbirds in response to highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Claudine Sakimin, Suriname, opposed a paragraph in Draft Resolution 25 on developing guidlines for landscape planning in response to avian influenza.

Moustafa Fouda, Egypt, called for an integrated approach in addressing avian flu.
Technical Sessions

Sybille Vermont, Switzerland and Kemi Awoyinka, Wetlands International, headed the technical session on applying the wise use principle in integrated water management, which featured speakers from the Ramsar secretariat, South Africa, Japan, IUCN, and the International Water Management Institute.

The technical session on Culture and knowledge in wetland management featured speakers from the Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos (Med-INA), Thailand, Mexico, Spain, and traditional elders from the Paroo River area of Australia.
Ministerial Dialogue

Kahinda Otafiire, Uganda's Minister for Water Land and Environment, chaired an informal Ministerial Dialogue organized by Uganda, attended by ministers from 12 countries and high level representatives from at least 7 more. The meeting, inter alia, endorsed the principles enshrined in the outcomes of CSD-13 and the 2005-2015 "Water for Life" Decade, stressed the importance of Africa's wetlands to livelihoods, and discussed and supported the draft Kampala Declaration.
Around COP9

Rebecca D'Cruz, Synthesis Team Co-Chair, presented a summary of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment's (MA) synthesis report on "Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Wetlands and Water."

ATEN-France presented a side event for managers of wetlands in francophone countries in Africa.

WWF presented a side event on challenges and opportunities in Ramsar site management.

Wetlands International and CC-GGAP presented a side event on the Global Action on Peatlands.

A traditional elder from the Paroo River area in Australia made a presentation during the technical session on culture and knowledge in wetland management.

Gunn Mari Paulsen, Norway, and Nadra Nathai-Gyan, Trinidad and Tobago, led the contact group on the wise use concept and cultural values.

The dancers from Kabira drew a crowd of delegates eager to take snapshots of their performances.

Related Links

Ramsar Convention
Convention on Biological Diversity
Convention to Combat Desertification
Convention on Migratory Species
IUCN - The World Conservation Union
Wetlands International
WWF International
BirdLife International

Related ENB/Sustainable Developments Coverage

Linkages Water, Wetlands, Oceans and Coasts page
ENB Coverage of Ramsar COP-8
ENB Coverage of Ramsar COP-7
Sustainable Developments coverage of the 3rd World Water Forum
Sustainable Developments coverage of the Stakeholder Dialogue on Sustainable Water Management Sustainable Developments coverage of the International Conference on Freshwater

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