29 November 2011: The second Meeting of the Parties (MOP 2) of the Agreement on the Conservation of Gorillas and their Habitats (the Gorilla Agreement), under the auspices of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), met from 26-27 November 2011, in Bergen, Norway, immediately after the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) to CMS.

Participants at MOP 2: discussed the outcomes of the International Year of the Gorilla (YoG) 2009; elected three experts in forest management and conservation, environmental law and wild animal health to the Technical Committee (TC); agreed on a draft reporting format; and adopted resolutions on institutional arrangements for the Agreement, the review of Action Plans, and cooperation on law enforcement.

Parties were reminded that, as only six of the ten gorilla range States have joined the Agreement, there is already a shortfall in the budget but, as all Parties are in arrears, attention is needed to secure the future Agreement. There was also concern that if the MOP defers the adoption of revised action plans, progress in furthering conservation efforts may be hindered. Ultimately, it was felt that the second meeting of the TC will provide an opportunity to hear progress and reflect on these issues and address ways to overcome them.

The meeting was immediately followed by the UN-Great Apes Survival Partnership (UN-GRASP) Executive Committee, which met from 28-29 November 2011, to address the preliminary findings of the GRASP strategic review and provide feedback for the review process. [IISD RS Coverage of MOP 2]