RAPTOR - Regional Agreement on the Protection of Raptors

 

In May 2003, the VI World Working Group on Birds of Prey and Owls (WWGBP) adopted a resolution that urged the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) to consider establishing a multi-lateral agreement on the conservation of migratory raptors in the African-Eurasian region.  The CMS Scientific Council subsequently recommended that the issue be considered at the 8th Conference of Parties in 2005: a Recommendation (8.12) and Resolution (8.5) were adopted at CoP8.

 

CMS CoP Recommendation 8.12 calls upon Parties to the Convention, non-party Range States and other stakeholders to engage in co-operative activities to promote the sustainable management of migratory raptors and owls.  Resolution 8.5 records that the CMS CoP supported the development of an appropriate CMS instrument on raptors for the African-Eurasian region, pursuant to Recommendation 8.12.

 

The Governments of the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates are now co-leading an initiative to explore the development of a new agreement, RAPTOR,  under the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) to help conserve migratory birds of prey and owls in the Africa-Eurasian region. 

 

The initiative has been underpinned by a study commissioned by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2005, which found that more than 50% of migratory birds of prey in the African-Eurasian region have a poor conservation status and many are showing rapid or long-term population declines.