25 September 2014: Kyrgyzstan and the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) hosted a stakeholder meeting on the conservation of large mammals in Central Asia. A declaration was adopted wherein Parties agreed on the development of a Programme of Work for the Central Asian Mammals Initiative (CAMI) 2014-2020.

The meeting, held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from 23-25 September 2014, brought together representatives from 11 eleven countries in the region as well as local and international non-governmental organizations, to discuss the next steps in the conservation of CMS-listed Central Asian mammal species, including the snow leopard, argali sheep, saiga antelope, Asiatic wild ass and the Iranian cheetah.

Participants heard presentations, including on a gap assessment that served as a basis for the meeting, and discussed threats, such as those coming from infrastructure development disrupting migrations, poaching, and illegal hunting and trade. They recognized the need to strengthen and spotlight the importance of conservation efforts in the region. They also addressed mechanisms for the coordination and implementation of the CAMI, including the opportunity to draw on the expertise of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) specialist groups and species networks, such as the Saiga Resource Center and the Snow Leopard Network (SLN).

In the declaration, participants request Parties to the CMS to adopt the CAMI resolution at the forthcoming Conference of the Parties (COP) to the CMS to be held in Quito, Ecuador. They also request Parties to establish a post within CMS for an officer to coordinate the implementation of the CAMI Programme of Work.

Funding for the meeting was provided by Switzerland and the European Union. [IISD RS Sources] [CMS CAMI meeting information]