Side event details

BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION

As of 28 February 2025, 112 of the 173 Parties to the Convention on Wetlands submitted their National Reports to COP15 through the Online Reporting System (ORS). According to the Secretariat, “this represents an overall response rate of 65%, a significant decline from 88% at COP13 and 71% at COP14”.

National Reports are essential for monitoring the implementation of the Convention and are important tools for communicating national status of wetlands. They track progress on the 4 goals and 19 targets of the Fourth Strategic Plan 2016-2024 (SP4), while also highlighting priorities and challenges. These reports also feed into the Global Implementation Report as a basis, which is prepared by the Secretary General and presented at each COP.

The ORS is a web-based platform developed by UNEP-WCMC in collaboration with the secretariats of biodiversity-related MEAs in 2014. The system provides Parties and MEA Secretariats with an online questionnaire to facilitate the submission of National Reports in an efficient manner. However, a decade after its initial launch, an upgrade became necessary due to user-reported challenges with certain functionalities and rapid technological advancements.

The upgraded ORS was launched at the end of 2024, due to the timing of the reporting cycle Parties to the Convention on Wetlands submitted their National Reports to COP15 using the original 2014 version. The updated agile ORS will be used for submitting National Reports to COP16.

At the national level, the upgraded ORS is expected to enhance the quality and timeliness of submissions to the Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands, thanks to its improved efficiency, new features and a more user-friendly interface.

Beyond the Convention on Wetlands, the ORS is also utilized by Parties to other MEAs, including the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA). The upgraded ORS also has a direct connection with the Data Reporting Tool for MEAs, DaRT, enabling the data submitted across different MEA reports to be synthesized in a central location.

At the global level, the upgraded ORS is anticipated to increase both the quantity and quality of National Reports through improved accessibility and usability. This will support the Secretariat in collecting and analyzing data more effectively, thereby providing better insights into global progress of the status of wetlands worldwide and trends in implementing the Convention. Furthermore, through its connection to DaRT it allows for the cross-referencing of country responses to different MEAs to the relevant ones under the Convention on Wetlands, thus facilitating efficiency and avoiding duplication in reporting.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

During this side event, the Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands, UNEP, and UNEP-WCMC will reflect on a decade of experience using the Online Reporting System (ORS) for the Convention on Wetlands and other related multilateral environmental agreements. The event will also showcase the upgraded agile ORS and its integration to the DaRT tool, launched in October 2024, and with generous support from EU, through the GPGC project “Scaling Up Actions to Realize Synergies for Biodiversity”, 2021-2024, which was implemented by UNEP and with technical support from UNEP-WCMC.

Participants will have an opportunity to view the ORS features through a Demo, and gain insight into the in-depth consultations that took place with MEA secretariats and parties that informed the ORS’ new development, ensuring the tool best meets their needs. Participants will be given the opportunity to provide additional feedback on the new features of the modernized ORS, which will assist Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands with preparing their COP16 National Reports.  Speakers and participants will also explore the link between the ORS and the UNEP DaRT tool, and the benefits of cross-linking MEA national reports and aligning them with global MEA strategies such as the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) and the SDGs, for synergistic knowledge management.

Looking ahead, the onboarding and uptake of the new ORS across biodiversity-related MEAs responds to decisions by contracting parties for facilitated and harmonized reporting. ORS has the potential to increase harmonization of national reporting templates and information sharing, reducing the reporting burden on parties that need to submit reports to multiple conventions.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• Provide context and background information on the online reporting system (ORS), which is managed by UNEP-WCMC
• Share experience with the ORS from the Parties and the Secretariat to the Convention on Wetlands
• Present the technical enhancements to the upgraded ORS, its linkages with other MEAs and its user-driven approach, which were completed under the EU-GPGC funded project “Scaling Up Actions to Realize Synergies for Biodiversity”, managed by UNEP
• Present the link between the ORS and the DaRT tool, supporting synergies in knowledge management and integration of information of other national reports into MEA reporting.

Facilitate an open dialogue on national reporting challenges and identify additional support needs for integrated national reporting, to inform other governing body discussions and other relevant international processes. 

DATE, TIME, VENUE AND LOGISTICS

The side-event “Online Reporting System (ORS) for national reports: Upgrade for easier reporting” will take place on July 28, 2025, starting at 18:30 (Zimbabwe time) during COP15 at the Kazuma Meeting Room at Elephant Hills Hotel and Resort, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The event will be 60 minutes long and will accommodate up to 40 people in the room. This room is not equipped for virtual participation. The language of the event will be English, and snacks and drinks will be available before the event starts.

ORGANIZER AND PARTNERS

Organizer:

• UNEP

Partners (Speakers and Presenters):

• Representatives of the Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands.
• Representatives of the UNEP.
• Representatives of UNEP-WCMC.
• Representatives of Parties to the Convention on Wetlands.

AGENDA OUTLINE

18:00 – 18:30 (30 min): Bites and drinks. Location: Kazuma Room

18:30 – 18:35 (5 min): Welcome remarks. Speaker: Ms. Natalia Alekseeva, Coordinator of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration UNEP. 

18:35 – 18:55 (20 min): Part 1: Reflection on the Online Reporting System (ORS)

• Introducing the ORS. Presenter: Ms. Emilie Vauchel, UNEP.
• The upgrade of the ORS through an EU-UNEP project for synergies among MEAs. Presenter: Ms. Emilie Vauchel, UNEP.
• Reflections on the ORS for the Convention on Wetlands. Presenter: Mr. Manuel Kern, the Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands.

18:55 – 19:15 (20 minutes): Part 2: Upgrading the ORS and Outlook for the Preparation of the National Reports for COP16

• The benefits expected from the ORS upgrade and the transition process. Presenters: Mr. Arnout van Soesbergen and Mr. Lewis Kramer, UNEP-WCMC.
• Connection with the DaRT tool. Presenter: Ms. Emilie Vauchel, UNEP.
• Timeline for implementation by the Convention on Wetlands. Presenter: Mr. Manuel Kern, the Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands.

19:15 – 19:25 (10 minutes): Part 3: Q & A and Conclusion

• An interactive Q&A session with National Focal Points and the audience. 
• Recap and closing remarks. Representative of the Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands (to be confirmed).