26 October 2015
CMS Standing Committee Discusses Strategic Plan, Financing Priorities
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The 44th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) met to discuss the Strategic Plan for Migratory Species 2015-2023, the review process for the Convention, and other issues.

CMS21 October 2015: The 44th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) met to discuss the Strategic Plan for Migratory Species 2015-2023, the review process for the Convention, and other issues.

Chaired by Øystein Størkersen of Norway, the Committee also addressed options to increase synergies between various multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), and agreed to the option of sharing of services step-by-step. The Committee reviewed the Programme of Work 2015-2017, and provided advice on CMS Priorities to the Global Environment Facility (GEF), recommending that a larger proportion of GEF funds be made available for regional and global projects rather than national ones. It noted that funds should support the priorities of: restoring and maintaining ecological corridors; wildlife-friendly infrastructure; combating wildlife crime; regional approaches for tracking illegal killing of birds; restoring and maintaining global flyways; reducing marine pollution; minimizing bycatch; and mitigating threats to freshwater fish such as habitat degradation and over-exploitation.

The Standing Committee met in Bonn, Germany, on 14-15 October 2015. Recommendations from the Committee will be considered during the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 13) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2016, in Cancun, Mexico. [CMS Press Release]

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