Some 50 participants from 10 countries, as well as national Ramsar Convention on Wetlands authorities, nature conservation agencies, local authorities and managers of protected areas, gathered from 4-7 May 2004 in Brekstad, Norway, to discuss how to improve wetland conservation and awareness and possibilities for strengthening Nordic wetland cooperation, particularly within the Baltic region.

In a final statement, participants agreed, inter alia, to: improve sub-regional cooperation, including the need to convene a smaller sub-regional meeting later this year to: consider a mandate, geographical focus, possible work plan, funding and lead responsibilities; cooperate with regard to the European Ramsar meeting in Armenia in December 2004 and the ninth Conference of the Parties (COP9) in Uganda in 2005; and make the meeting’s proceedings available for distribution to relevant stakeholders. The meeting’s closing statement is available at: http://www.ramsar.org/mtg_nordic_ramsar_2004bis.htm