July 2011: The Secretariat of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) has released the May/June edition of its Newsletter, which contains conservation news, updates about species campaigns, an Ambassador’s Brief and news from the Secretariat.

The Newsletter highlights that the CMS and the Food and Agriculture Or­ganization of the UN (FAO) have convened a Scientific Task Force on Wildlife Diseases to seek an integrated approach to manage the health of ecosystems, wildlife, livestock and people within a “One Health” framework. Other conservation news featured in the Newsletter includes: highlights from the Expert Workshop on Climate Change, convened by the CMS Secretariat from 4-6 June 2011, which formulated a roadmap for action on climate change; and a presentation on the sustainable use of the Saiga Antelope, made by the CMS Secretariat at the European Commission Symposium on “The relevance of community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) to the conservation and sustainable use of CITES-listed species in exporting countries” held from 17-20 May 2011.

On species campaigns, the Newsletter provides updates on activities carried out in support of the Year of the Bat, including the organization of a “Bat Wonder House” in Hong Kong, and the launch of the “Bat-Friendly-Shields” project in the Netherlands. The Newsletter also reports on a speech given by Ian Redmond, special envoy of the UN Environment Programme/UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNEP/UNESCO) Great Apes Survival Partnership and former Year of the Gorilla Ambassador, to the Sixth Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) General Assembly, held from 26 June-1 July 2011, with the central message that forests cannot grow without animals. [Publication: CMS Newsletter, May/June 2011]