Esteemed Colleagues Since our last newsletter a few months ago, the Secretariat here in Gland in Switzerland as elsewhere, has continued to adapt our lives at the office and at home to the challenging circumstances. In the summer months we were able to return full time to the office, but in the recent weeks we have returned to working from our homes. I am pleased to share that there has been considerable activity in the work of the Convention and its implementation despite the challenging times, both in terms of engagement of Contracting Parties and support provided by the Secretariat. In light of the pandemic, the 58th meeting of the Standing Committee (SC58) could not be held in Gland. The Secretariat organized a virtual session of the SC58 in June to address the most urgent issues for the Convention resulting in 31 decisions. Working Groups of the Standing Committee and the Scientific and Technical Panel are actively advancing their tasks with support from the Secretariat. The Secretariat has been engaged in the international policy agenda, with special focus on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, SDG14 and SDG6, and other global processes. The Secretariat has continued the collaboration with the CBD, in particular on the process of reviewing the 5th Joint Work Plan between the two Conventions. I am proud to share that the Secretariat continues to support Contracting Parties and strengthen their capacities through offering online training events. In recent months, the Secretariat offered three new webinars in the three official languages: “Preparation of National Reports to COP14”, “National Wetlands Inventories Training” and “Grant Writing: How to write effective project proposals”. The webinars were attended by 390 participants from 86 countries and are all available on the new “capacity building” webpage which you will find at the link below. In recent months the Secretariat provided support in the designation of 18 new Ramsar Sites and the publishing of RSIS updates for 9 Sites. Despite the cancellation of SC58 and other face-to-face international meetings, our work has not slowed down. We continue to seize the opportunity “to build back better” through our various collaborations and engagements. Recognition is growing of the importance of nature-based solutions in addressing the current crisis and achievement of the SDGs. By advocating for and integrating wetlands as nature-based solutions we have an opportunity to mainstream their critical values and role in building a sustainable future. Martha Rojas Urrego |
