The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands held its triennial conference from 2-9 June 2015, in Punta del Este, Uruguay. The Ramsar Convention is the only intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. With the right ambition and motivation, the governments gathered at this conference and their NGO partners can be catalysts for change that is big enough to stop and reverse a terrible history of ecosystem loss and destruction.
This is a goal that demands we look beyond business as usual. The twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP12) was held from, under the theme “Wetlands for our Future.” Over 800 participants representing the 168 parties to the Convention, as well as the International Organization Partners (IOPs) of the Ramsar Convention, UN agencies, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) attended the meeting.
COP12 adopted 16 resolutions by consensus, including the Strategic Plan 2016-2024, a new framework for the delivery of scientific and technical advice and guidance on the Convention, peatlands, disaster risk reduction, and a wetland city accreditation of the Ramsar Convention. In the face of dramatic loss and degradation of wetlands, and notwithstanding organizational difficulties, the meeting was considered successful in charting the way for the Convention to link up to other international processes, as well as guide work on the ground.