The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (also known as CMS or the Bonn Convention, not to be confused with the Bonn Agreement) aims to conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species throughout their range. It is an intergovernmental treaty, concluded under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme, concerned with the conservation of wildlife and habitats on a global scale. Since the Convention's entry into force, its membership has grown steadily to include over 100 Parties from Africa, Central and South America, Asia, Europe and Oceania. The Convention was signed in 1979 in Bonn (hence the name) and entered into force in 1983.
Migratory species threatened with extinction are listed on Appendix I of the Convention. CMS Parties strive towards strictly protecting these animals, conserving or restoring the places where they live, mitigating obstacles to migration and controlling other factors that might endanger them. Besides establishing obligations for each State joining the Convention, CMS promotes concerted action among the Range States of many of these species.
Migratory species that need or would significantly benefit from international co-operation are listed in Appendix II of the Convention. For this reason, the Convention encourages the Range States to conclude global or regional Agreements.
In this respect, CMS acts as a framework Convention. The Agreements may range from legally binding treaties (called Agreements) to less formal instruments, such as Memoranda of Understanding, and can be adapted to the requirements of particular regions. The development of models tailored according to the conservation needs throughout the migratory range is a unique capacity to CMS.
Several Agreements have been concluded to date under the auspices of CMS. They aim to conserve:
- Populations of European Bats (EUROBATS)
- Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS)
- Seals in the Wadden Sea (Wadden Sea Agreement)
- African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA)
- Gorillas and Their Habitats (Gorilla agreement)
In addition, several Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) have been concluded to date under the auspices of CMS. They aim to conserve the:
- the Siberian Crane
- Marine Turtles of the Atlantic Coast of Africa (Marine Turtles in Africa MoU)
- Marine Turtles of the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia (IOSEA)
- Middle-European Population of the Great Bustard
- the Bukhara Deer
- the Aquatic Warbler
- West-African Populations of the African Elephant
- the Saiga Antelope
- Pacific Islands Region cetaceans
- Mediterranean Monk Seal
- Grassland Birds
A Secretariat under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) provides administrative support to the Convention. It is based in the UN Campus in Bonn, Germany. The decision-making organ of the Convention is the Conference of the Parties (COP). A Standing Committee provides policy and administrative guidance between the regular meetings of the COP. A Scientific Council consisting of experts appointed by individual member States and by the COP, gives advice on technical and scientific matters.
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