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| Migratory Species Convention | |
|---|---|
| Name | Migratory Species Convention |
| Long name | Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals |
| Date signed | 1979-06-23 |
| Location signed | Bonn |
| Date effective | 1983-11-01 |
| Condition effective | ratification by Minimum number of Parties |
| Parties | Parties |
| Depositor | United Nations Secretary-General |
| Language | English, French, Russian, Spanish |
Migratory Species Convention is an international environmental treaty concluded in 1979 in Bonn under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme and entered into force in 1983. It established a multilateral framework to conserve migratory wild animals that traverse political boundaries, coordinating action among European Union, United States, Japan, Australia and many African Union states, as well as transnational organisations like International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Convention created bodies and instruments to list species, develop agreements, and mobilise scientific research linking regional frameworks such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Convention.
The Convention emerged from conservation debates at United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and was negotiated by delegations from states including Germany, France, United Kingdom, United States, India and Brazil. Delegates drew upon precedents such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the Bern Convention and regional instruments like the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds. Advocacy by organisations such as the World Wide Fund for Nature, BirdLife International, IUCN Species Survival Commission and scientists from institutions like the Smithsonian Institution influenced the treaty text. The treaty’s Secretariat was established in Bonn, and early work plans involved collaboration with UNEP Regional Seas Programme.
The treaty’s primary objective is to conserve migratory species and their habitats across ranges involving states such as Russia, China, Canada, Mexico and South Africa. The Convention distinguishes Appendix I and Appendix II listings to prioritise species including migratory birds, cetaceans, pinnipeds, sharks, and large terrestrial mammals like African elephant and migratory populations of Iberian lynx. It aims to facilitate bilateral and multilateral agreements analogous to the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic and North Seas and to integrate with instruments such as the World Heritage Convention and Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.
Membership comprises national Parties from regions including Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas, with governance through a Meeting of the Parties, Scientific Council and Secretariat hosted in Bonn. The Meeting of the Parties sets budgets and adopts resolutions; it is attended by delegations from countries like Germany, Kenya, Brazil, Argentina and India and by observer organisations such as UNESCO, World Bank and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The Scientific Council includes experts affiliated with universities such as University of Oxford, University of Cape Town, Peking University and agencies like NOAA.
The Convention’s mechanisms include Appendices, Memoranda of Understanding and negotiated Agreements. Notable agreements under its framework include the Agreement on the Conservation of Bats in Europe, the Agreement on the Conservation of Seals in the Wadden Sea, and species-specific MoUs for migratory sharks, gorillas and birds. Instruments often emulate regional models like the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds and align with initiatives by European Commission, African Union biodiversity programmes and the Convention on Biological Diversity Strategic Plan.
Implementation involves national action plans, habitat protection, designation of protected areas such as Ramsar sites, transboundary conservation areas like the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, and threat reduction measures addressing bycatch, illegal trade, and habitat loss. Parties coordinate legal measures drawing on precedents from European Union directives and national laws in states like Australia and Canada. Conservation projects are often funded or supported by entities such as the Global Environment Facility, World Bank, United Nations Development Programme and NGOs like Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy.
Scientific support is provided through the Scientific Council, technical committees and partnerships with research institutions including the Smithsonian Institution, Max Planck Society, CNRS, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and regional observatories. Monitoring uses satellite telemetry, genetic studies, population modelling, and surveys coordinated with programmes such as GBIF, ICES and migratory bird monitoring schemes run by BirdLife International and national agencies like US Fish and Wildlife Service. Data inform listings on Appendices and guide agreements with organisations like IUCN.
Critics point to limited enforcement capacity compared with instruments like the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and to gaps in membership among major range states such as China or United States (variable participation), funding shortages from multilateral donors like Global Environment Facility, and difficulties reconciling national development priorities in countries including India and Brazil. Scientific challenges include incomplete data from regions such as Central Asia and the Arctic, and coordination problems similar to those discussed in analyses by World Bank and United Nations Environment Programme reports. Debates continue about improving compliance, expanding regional agreements, and integrating climate change science from bodies like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Category:Environmental treaties