Notification

From source to sea: building momentum ahead of COP15

Dear friends and colleagues,

As we look ahead to COP15 in Zimbabwe I’m reminded of the powerful connections wetlands create—from source to sea. From glaciers to deltas, from communities to governments, our work spans geographies and institutions, building one continuous system of care for water, life, and resilience.

In this spirit, the past few months have witnessed the expanding of political engagements, forging strategic of partnerships, and ensuring wetlands remain central to global environmental priorities.

Expanding political engagement and awareness

To amplify our presence on the diplomatic stage, I accepted a request by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)—through its Chair in Geneva, Barbados—to brief Ambassadors at the United Nations Offices in Geneva. Held on 12 March 2025, the session drew eleven Ambassadors and introduced the region to the work of the Convention. The briefing also triggered accession talks with two non-Contracting Parties and progress on IKI-supported wetlands projects.

Just weeks later, the Secretariat convened the 2025 Annual Planning Meeting for Ramsar Regional Initiatives. Coordinators shared updates and explored new collaboration opportunities. In my address, I emphasised the need for alignment as we prepare for COP15—a call that was echoed across all regions.

I was also honoured to receive Ambassador Ram Prasad Subedi of Nepal at the Secretariat headquarters in Gland. Our meeting reaffirmed Nepal’s steadfast support for the Convention.

Outreach continued into April with a diplomatic briefing on COP15 co-hosted with the Missions of Zimbabwe and China. The event, held in Geneva, brought together members of the diplomatic corps to raise awareness around COP15 and the Global Wetland Outlook. Soon after, I welcomed H.E. Mr Matthew Anthony Wilson, Ambassador of Barbados, for discussions on technical support in line with relevant resolutions.

And in June, we closed this season of engagement with a visit from Ambassador Brian Neil Joseph Glover, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Mauritius to the United Nations Office in Geneva, who conveyed a message of goodwill and reaffirmed his government’s continued support for the Convention.

Deepening partnerships for resources and visibility

Recognising the importance of strategic financing, I travelled to Danone headquarters in Paris in late March. There, we renewed our long-standing partnership, ensuring continued support for the global World Wetlands Day campaign and the Evian Special Prize—an award that honours individual excellence in wetland conservation. We are also exploring new collaboration with Danone to support the dissemination of scientific knowledge.

In May, I co-chaired the 11th joint meeting between IUCN and the Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands, alongside the Director General of IUCN, Dr Grethel Aguilar, to assess our ongoing collaboration and shared priorities.

Shortly following, Secretariat had the honour of hosting H.E. Mr LEE Byounghwa, Vice Minister of Environment, Republic of Korea (RoK) on 13 May. The Vice Minister reiterated his country’s continued support for the Convention—a valued commitment as we work toward global restoration goals.

Science, technology, and regional cooperation

Our collaboration with the science and data community continues to grow. In March, I met with Ms Yana Gevorgyan, Secretariat Director of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), to build on insights from the Earth Observation consultation conducted by the STRP. This led to my participation in the GEO Global Forum 2025, held in Rome in early May, where I contributed to high-level sessions on Earth observation and decision-making for wetlands.

On 21 May, I was invited to address the High-level Segment of the EURO-INBO International Conference in Parma, Italy. Hosted by the Po River District Basin Authority and the Municipality of Parma, the conference gathered EU Member States, basin authorities, and national and regional water directors. My intervention highlighted the critical role wetlands play in managing water—from local basins to continental frameworks. On the 24 June, the European Space Agency (ESA) and our Convention signed a Memorandum of Intent (MOI) in Vienna Austria on the margins of the ESA Living Planet Summit. This agreement builds on a 20-year relationship formalising the relationship between our two institutions on how best we can support our countries as regards the management of Wetland Ecosystems through an Earth Observation lens. 

Strengthening ties in Central Asia and Africa

Earlier, during the BRS COP in Geneva (28 April–9 May), I joined the High-level Segment at the invitation of Dr Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. A video of my remarks was shared during the opening session and can be viewed here.

On the margins of the BRS COP, I held several bilateral meetings—notably with Hon. Wynter Mmolotsi, Minister of Environment and Tourism of the Republic of Botswana and Mr Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction to explore shared priorities and possible accession pathways.

At the invitation of the Government of Tajikistan, I travelled to Dushanbe for the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers, held on 29 May. This was the first-ever conference focused on glaciers at such a high political level and an outcome of the Tajik UN General Assembly Resolution of 2022 proposing 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers Preservation.  It was co-organized with WMO and UNESCO.  While in Tajikistan, I also delivered a lecture at Tajik National University, met with the 2024 recipient of the Nagao Wetland Fund—the inspiring Tajikistan Youth Group on Protection of Environment—and joined a session focused on glaciers and migratory birds. Tajikistan has been a Contracting Party since 2001, and the visit reinforced strong mutual commitment.

Looking ahead to COP15

These global strategic engagements, with much support from the Secretariat team, continue to elevate wetlands across political, financial, and scientific spheres. Whether through multilateral cooperation, youth leadership, data partnerships or resource mobilisation, we are building the momentum needed to ensure that wetlands are recognised as essential systems—from source to sea.

As we approach COP15, I invite each of you to carry this momentum forward. Let us stay bold, stay united, and stay focused on the global wetlands movement we are shaping together in the spirit of multilateralism.