Convened by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the third meeting of the Scientific Task Force on Avian Influenza and Wild Birds was held from 15-16 March 2010, at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

The meeting reviewed what has been achieved in addressing the spread of avian influenza, and determined the future role and direction of the Task Force. Focus was set on current activity related to avian influenza surveillance, including most recent research related to epidemiology, known direct and indirect impacts on the conservation of waterbirds and wetlands, and most recent developments with respect to national contingency planning and response strategies. Participants agreed on the following issues to be further developed in the future: standardization of reporting and sampling methodologies to current best science-based practices; use of the flyway approach for continued and broader surveillance of wild bird populations, along with better understanding of migration routes, habitat use, and movements; strengthening of capacity for outbreak investigations that evaluates the source of virus introduction; and reduction of indiscriminate blame of wild birds for poultry outbreaks, in the absence of proper evidence. Established in 2005 to create a liaison mechanism between those international organizations and multilateral environment agreements engaged in activities related to avian influenza, the Task Force comprises representatives and observers from 14 international organizations.
Link to further information
CMS press release, 24 March 2010