On February 12, the opening ceremony of the 14th meeting of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP14) was held at the Silk Road Samarkand Congress Hall. The event was opened by Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, who read a message from Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the participants.
"Uzbekistan pays great attention to the conservation of migratory species of wild animals. In recent years, the legal framework in this area has been improved with the adoption of new legislative acts, ensuring their effective execution. During its presidency of the Convention from 2024 to 2027, Uzbekistan is ready to mobilize all its forces and potential to protect migratory animal species," the president’s message stated.
The conference gathered over 1,800 participants from 130 countries to address one of the most pressing issues – the conservation of migratory species of wild animals.
Attending the event were the Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change Aziz Abduhakimov, Deputy Secretary-General of the UN and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen, among others. The weeklong negotiations at CMS COP14 are expected to consider an extensive agenda covering over a hundred items, including:
• Amendments to the CMS appendices that include 14 additional species in need of international protection, such as the Eurasian Lynx, the Saker Falcon, the Pallas's Cat, the Magellanic Plover, and others;
• Proposals for new concerted actions as priority conservation measures for seven species;
• Measures to combat poaching;
• Actions to develop ecological connectivity;
• A new strategic plan for migratory species for the period 2024-2032.
For information: CMS COP14 is one of the most significant UN global events for the conservation of migratory species since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
