16 September 2011: The Liaison Group of the Biodiversity-related Conventions has adopted and signed the Group’s Modus Operandi. This agreement will be sent to the Conferences of the Parties (COPs) of the respective members.

The Modus Operandi were adopted on the occasion of the Liaison Group’s second high-level retreat, held on 4 September 2011, in Bogis-Bossey, Switzerland. The six secretariats currently comprising the Group of the Biodiversity-related Conventions are: the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS); the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands; the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage; and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR).

According to the Modus Operandi, the Liaison Group is a platform to exchange information and enhance implementation at the national level of the objectives of each respective convention, while also promoting synergies at the national level. The distinct and specific objectives of each convention and their different Parties, as well as the individual mandates and independent status of their treaty bodies and secretariats, are recognized. The aim of the Group is to maximize effectiveness and efficiency and avoid duplication. Activities on the ground are contingent upon the availability of financial and other resources. [CBD Notification] [Modus Operandi for the Liaison Group of the Biodiversity-related Conventions]