THE RAMSAR CONVENTION ON WETLANDS
54th Meeting of the Standing Committee
Gland, Switzerland, 23–27 April 2018

Doc. SC54-21.8
Draft resolution on improving the efficiency of structures and processesof the Convention
Submitted by Switzerland
Action requested:•

The Standing Committee is invited to review and approve the attached Draft Resolution for
consideration by the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

Background1.

This document contains the proposals of Switzerland, as a Party, as well as a Permanent
observer to the Standing Committee, reflecting on the Convention, on its institutional set-up
and on the work of some of its subsidiary bodies and groups.

2.

It is the most favorable time to look at a new, improved governance for the Ramsar Convention
with a view to take decisions at the 13th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 13):

3.

The Ramsar Convention has a crucial role in the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), chiefly Life on Land (SDG 15) and,in particular, the Goals on Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Sustainable
Cities and Communities (SDG 11), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), Climate
Action (SDG 13) and Life Below Water (SDG 14). Reversing the trend of wetland loss anddegradation through improvement of policies, practices and investments is essential to achieve
the Sustainable Development Goals.

4.

This is a great opportunity to raise the profile of the Convention at the global level, while
enhancing its implementation on the ground in all the countries. However it encounters someinstitutional, policy and financial challenges in relation to scaling up shared knowledge,
facilitating dialogue, brokering solutions and advising governments on the protection and wiseuse of wetlands.

5.

In particular the present set-up of the institutional structures of the Ramsar Convention does
not always facilitate the full national and regional implementation. The full potential of being
the only global convention on wetlands is not fully exploited to raise the urgency for decisive
action for a meaningful contribution to the global agenda.

6.

The objective of the proposal for an overhauled institutional structure and a renewed
governance is to contribute to the enhanced realization of the objectives of the Ramsar

Convention by the Parties and other stakeholders at the international, regional, national andlocal levels.
Introduction on the institutional set-up
7.

At the 3rd Meeting of the Conference of the Parties in 1987, a Standing Committee (SC) of 9
members for 44 Parties was established1. The Standing Committee had the tasks andcharacteristics of an Executive Committee or a Bureau of the Conference of Parties. Over theyears, the tasks, size and working structure of the Standing Committee have changed2. It
currently has 17 voting members, representing the six Ramsar regions and seven permanent
observers, working through numerous subgroups (Sub-Group on COP 13, CEPA Oversight Panel,Working Group on CEPA Implementation, Sub-Group on Finance, Management Working Group,
Facilitation Working Group, Working Group on Resource Mobilization an Executive Team,
Language Strategy Working Group,Working Group on the Ramsar Regional Initiatives).

8.

In addition to the SC, the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) was established as a
subsidiary body of the Convention to provide scientific and technical guidance to theConference of the Parties, to the Standing Committee, and to the Ramsar Secretariat.

9.

It is also noticeable that meetings of the Standing Committee have been attended by anincreasing number of Parties, not members of the Standing Committee, in their capacity as
observers.

10. The feebleness of the current governance structure are the following:

1
2•

Administration over substance: The present structure of the SC, neither a bureau nor an
open-ended all Parties body, complicates the oversight function and leads to the allocationof disproportionate meeting time and resources to administrative issues. The deliberations
and an exchange of views on the objectives of the Ramsar Convention, the conservation
and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international
cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout theworld, is at great risk of being neglected.

•

Lack of a science policy interface: The STRP is composed of a restricted number of experts
from academies that are not involved in policy making, hence putting an emphasis on
scientific outputs. Science has delivered many assessments, syntheses and reviews to
inform the convention’s implementation as well as guidelines. However science and otherforms of knowledge are not used effectively in policymaking. The importance of aneffective interface between science and policy is obvious.

•

Restricted participation: Having a COP every three years and a restricted number of Parties
participating with full rights in the SC meetings in between does not offer enoughincentives for Parties to engage in a regular global exchange of information and associatedinteraction on the implementation of the Ramsar Convention.

•

Oversized “Bureau”: Due to the increased membership of the Standing Committee (from 9
to 17), its original function as an “Executive Committee” and as a “Bureau of theConference of the Parties” is jeopardized.

Resolution 3.3: Establishment of a Standing Committee
COP 12 resolution XII.4

SC54-21.8

2

•

Fragmentation: The proliferation of subgroups of the Standing Committee, recognizably
established for legitimate purposes, make the work under the Convention cumbersome
and laborious, as it requires an enormous amount of reporting and coordination within theSC.

•

Three institutional entities for any COP: At present, between COPs, under the SC, a COP
Working Group is tasked with ensuring the logistics and preparation of the agenda for the
next COP. At the COP itself, the SC takes the form of the Conference Bureau, however
enlarged in accordance with article 21 of the Rules of Procedure 1 by another 4 members.
This institutional setup is rather confusing and disperses the responsibilities.

11. A revised governance structure would contribute to the implementation of the overarching
mandate of the Ramsar Convention.
12. It is thus proposed to revise the structure of the Conference of the Parties by establishing four
new subsidiary bodies, namely:(i) A Bureau of the Conference of the Parties;(ii) an Open-ended Working Group;(iii) a Finance and Administration Committee; and(iv) a Science-Policy Interface.
13. With a two-tier approach, the COP would first decide on the reviewed structure and at a laterstage adopt the needed amendments to the Rules of Procedure.
Bureau of the Conference of the Parties
14. A Bureau of the Conference of the Parties shall be established. The Bureau would assist the COP
on any matters which it deems appropriate, such as(a) Oversight on the secretariat: to provide administrative and general operational directions
to the secretariat between and during the meetings of the COP;(b) Provide guidance and advice to the secretariat on the preparation of the agenda and otherrequirements for the organization of the meetings and any other matters brought to it by
the secretariat in the exercise of its functions;(c) Perform functions requested by the COP especially administrative tasks taking into accountthe approved budget;(d) Report to the COP on the activities it has carried out between meetings of the COPs; and(e) Prepare with the Secretariat the documents for the meetings of the COPs and the Openended Working Groups sessions.
15. At the end of each COP, a Bureau of 12 members would be elected with due regional balance (2x 6 Ramsar regions: Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North
America), It would be completed by further ex-officio members, which are the [Chair] [coChairs] of the Open-ended Working Group and the [Chair] [co-Chairs] of the Science-Policy
1

https://www.ramsar.org/document/ramsar-rules-of-procedure-cop12

SC54-21.8

3

Interface and the Chair of the Finance and Administration Committee [an ex-officio member ofthe Bureau] [participating as an advisor in the work of the Bureau].
Open-ended Working Group
16. The Standing Committee would be up-scaled into an Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) of all
Parties and Observers and established as a subsidiary body under the COP. It would meet
between the COPs. The [chair] or [co-chairs] of the OWEG would be chosen by the COP andserve as [an] ex-officio member[s] in the Bureau.
17. The Open-ended Working Group would meet back to back/conjunctly to the meetings of the
Science-Policy Interface.
18. An open ended meeting would improve the legitimacy of the COPs decisions and foster the
implementation of the Convention at the local, national, regional and international levels, andthis through timely advice relating to the implementation of the convention and the explorationof emerging issues. The Ramsar regional groups would continue to meet on the margins of themeetings, depending on their needs.
19. By the participation of all Parties and Observers, it would raise the commitment and the followup of the decisions. It should also enhance the exchange of experience and best practices,
including on their implementation of COPs resolutions, in addition to the stock taking COPs. It
would provide a central place for closer and enhanced cooperation, including partnerships
among the Parties, as well as between regions and with the donors. The access to the Observers
to the Convention such as the IOPs, other multilateral environmental agreements, international
finance institutions, including the private sector would greatly enrich the dialogue as well as
provide for further partnerships, including co-funding of activities.
20. An Open-ended Working Group would allow, e.g. to generate the necessary input of the Ramsar
Convention to the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)1 and thus
enable to report on the meaningful contribution of wetlands to the realization of the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
21. The possible tasks of the OEWG would be :(a) Carrying out, between one ordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties and the next,
interim activities on behalf of the Conference;(b) Developing priorities identified by the COP through specific work and when necessary withthe support of the Science-Policy Interface (replacing the Scientific and Technical Review
Panel);(c) Establishing working groups with a balanced regional representation to facilitate thecarrying out of its functions;(d) Dealing with ongoing and emerging issues of importance regarding wetland conservation
and wise use, including further interpretation and development of key Convention1

https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf and https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf/2018 - The
HLPF replaced the former Commission on Sustainable Development). Its central role is in the follow-up andreview of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development the and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
SC54-21.8

4

concepts and technical and political guidance for the Parties on key areas of
implementation;(e) Exchanging on the implementation of COPs resolutions;(f)Reporting to the COP on the implementation of past resolutions and making
recommendations on possible follow-up actions relating to them for the next COP(g) Working on the triennium work plan for the convention for the next COP;(h) Identifying priorities for possible future resolutions and recommendations forconsideration at the next COP;(i)

Reporting to the COP on the activities it has carried out between ordinary meetings of theConference.

Finance and Administration Committee
22. The Finance and Administration Committee, would act as a subsidiary body under the Openended Working Group. The [Conference of the Parties] or [the Open-ended Working Group]
would elect the Chair of the Finance and Administration Committee. The Chair of theCommittee would serve as [an ex-officio member of the Bureau] or [participating as an advisor
in the work of the Bureau].
Science-Policy Interface
23. The Science-Policy Interface would be open-ended and composed by experts from governments
and academia. It would generate scientific advice for the convention related to policy
implementation, such as analyzing, synthesizing and translating relevant scientific findings andmake recommendations on the protection and wise use of wetlands into proposals for theconsideration of the COP. Further it would interact with existing multiple scientific mechanisms,
in particular the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services IPBES,Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC and Intergovernmental Technical Panel on
Soils and other new and existing scientific networks and platforms. The [Chair] [co-Chairs]
would be chosen by the COP and serve as [an] ex-officio member[s] of the Bureau.
24. The Science-Policy Interface would meet back to back/conjunctly to the meetings of the Openended Working Group to encourage the exchange and alignment of needs and provisions ofservices to the Open-ended Working Group.
25. The Communication Education Participation and Awareness (CEPA) Oversight Panel would bemerged into the Science-Policy Interface.
Further governance opportunities - Notifications by the Secretariat 1
26. In order to follow the implementation of the decisions of COPs and to document them toservice the meetings of the Open-ended Working Group, a kind of “life line” of on-going
information and communication should be established between the Secretariat and the Parties,
1

Examples from the Convention on biological diversity:
https://www.cbd.int/reports/notifications/default.shtml or CMS:
http://www.cms.int/en/news/notifications):

SC54-21.8

5

through what is called “Notification” under e.g. the Convention on Biological Diversity.
“Notifications” are a call for information and follow-up to the Parties on COPs decisions. Such asystem would provide a certain dynamic among Parties in implementing the COPs decisions.
This would also establish a string of communication between Parties and the Secretariat. This
would also positively impact on the implementation of decisions.

SC54-21.8

6

Resolution XIII.x
Improving the efficiency of structures and processes of the Convention
1.

RECOGNIZING the wealth of experience of the first multilateral environmental agreement;

2.

RECOGNIZING that the Ramsar Convention has a crucial role to play in the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals;

3.

RECOGNIZING that the work of the subsidiary bodies under the Convention should be mademore efficient;

4.

HAVING considered the experience of the work of the subsidiary bodies;

5.

RECALLING the Resolution XII.4 on the Standing Committee;

6.

RECALLING the Resolution VI.17 establishing a Subgroup on Finance;

7.

RECALLING the Resolution XII.5 on the Scientific and Technical Review Panel;

8.

ACKNOWLEDGING the importance of providing the adequate institutional set-up for aconvention with [169 Parties] [of a global nature].
THE CONFERENCE OF THE CONTRACTING PARTIES

9.

DECIDES that the subsidiary bodies of the Conference of the Parties shall be organized in thefollowing manner:(a) Bureau of the Conference of the Parties;(b) Open-ended Working Group;(c) Finance and Administration Committee; and(d) Science-Policy Interface.

10. DECIDES to discontinue the Standing Committee as established by Resolution XII.4 and all its
subsidiary bodies (Sub-Group on COP 13, CEPA Oversight Panel, Working Group on CEPA
Implementation, Sub-Group on Finance, Management Working Group, Facilitation Working
Group, Working Group on Resource Mobilization an Executive Team, Language Strategy
Working Group,Working Group on the Ramsar Regional Initiatives).
11. DECIDES that a Bureau of the Conference of the Parties is established. The Bureau, elected by
the Conference of the Parties at the end of each of its meetings, will be composed of 12
members with due regional balance (2 members for each of the 6 regional groups : Africa, Asia,
Oceania, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America), with a President and 11
vice-presidents (one being the rapporteur), plus […] ex-officio members with the [Chair] or [coChairs] of Open-ended Working Group, with the [Chair] or [co-Chairs] of the Science-Policy
Interface and the Chair of the Finance and Administration Committee as [ex-officio member] or[participating as an advisor].
12. DECIDES further that, within the policy agreed by the Conference of the Parties, the Bureau of
the Conference of the Parties will have the following mandate:SC54-21.8

7

(a) To provide administrative and general operational directions to the secretariat between
and during the meetings of the Conference of the Parties;(b) To provide guidance and advice to the secretariat on the preparation of agendas and otherrequirements for the organization of meetings and on any other matters brought to it by
the secretariat in the exercise of its functions;(c) To perform functions requested by the Conference of the Parties or the Open-ended
Working Group, especially administrative tasks, taking into account the approved budget;and(d) To report to the Conference of the Parties on the activities it has carried out between
meetings of the Conference of the Parties.
13. DECIDES that Bureau members have the responsibility to advice members of their region on
substantive issues to be discussed within the Bureau, and to report back to their regions on the
results of those discussions.
14. DECIDES that before any Bureau meeting the agenda will be placed on the website one week
before the meeting and the report one week after.
15. DECIDES to discontinue the present Subgroup on Finance as established by Resolution VI.17.
16. DECIDES to establish, under the Open-ended Working Group, the Finance and Administration
Committee of [6] members, which shall be formed by representatives from the 6 regionalgroups of the Ramsar Convention, [and other interested Parties].
17. DECIDES that the [Conference of the Parties] [the Open-ended Working Group] shall elect the
Chair of the Finance and Administration Committee.
18. DECIDES further that the Finance and Administration Committee will have the following
mandate:(a) To deal with all the financial matters of the Convention with focus on the decisions of thepast meeting of the Conference of the Parties and all preceding COP decisions as well asreport and make recommendations on these matters to the Bureau and the Open-ended
Working Group; and(b) In cooperation with the Bureau, to provide guidance and advice to the Secretary Generalin the discharge of hers/his duties in connection with the administration of the financesof the Convention.
19. DECIDES that the Finance and Administration Committee shall meet in anticipation of eachmeeting of the Open-ended Working Group.
20. EXPRESSES its gratitude to the outgoing Chair of the Subgroup on Finance and its members fortheir excellent work that supported the budget management during the last triennium.
21. DECIDES to create an Open-ended Working Group under the Conference of the Parties, with afull Party membership with [annual] meetings between the COPs, [back to back] / [conjunctly]
to the meetings of the Science Policy Interface.

SC54-21.8

8

22. DECIDES that the [Conference of the Parties] shall elect [the chair] or [co-chairs] of the Openended Working Group.
23. DECIDES that the Open-ended Working Group will have the following mandate:(a) To assist the Conference of the Parties in developing and keeping under continuous review
the implementation of the Convention’s work plan, specific operational policies anddecisions taken by the Conference of the Parties for the implementation of the Convention;(b) Particularly, to report on the implementation of past resolutions and to propose on
possible follow-up actions relating to them for the next COP;(c) To identify and develop recommendations to overcome obstacles encountered in
implementing the Convention and any strategic plans adopted under it;(c) To consider and advise the Conference of the Parties on issues relating to policy, technical,
scientific, legal, institutional, administration, finance, budgetary and other aspects of theimplementation of the Convention within the approved budget, including identification of
the specific needs of different regions, in cooperation with the Open-ended Scientific andTechnical Working Group;(d) To identify key challenges and opportunities for wetland conservation needing global andregional attentions and actions for the preparation of future COP resolutions;(e) To prepare, with the support of the Secretariat, the Ramsar Convention contributions to
global and regional meetings of that given year with a view to profile wetlands;(f)

To prepare its work plan for the next triennium for consideration by the Conference of theParties; and(g) To report to the Conference of the Parties on the activities it has carried out between
meetings of the Conference of the Parties.
24. DECIDES to discontinue the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP).
25. DECIDES to establish an open-ended Science-Policy Interface under the Conference of theParties with [annual] meetings between the COPs [back to back] / [conjunctly] to the meetingsof the Open-ended Working Group.
26. DECIDES that the [Conference of the Parties] shall elect [the chair] or [co-chairs] of the SciencePolicy Interface.
27. DECIDES(a) that the Science-Policy Interface shall analyze, synthesize and translate relevant scientificfindings and recommendations from wetland related-scientific research and conferences,including information provided from relevant stakeholders and networks into proposals to
be considered by the [Open-ended Working Group] for the consideration of theConference of the Parties;

SC54-21.8

9

(b) that it shall accomplish all tasks related to science and assigned to it by the Conference of
the Parties;(c) that it shall interact with existing multiple scientific mechanisms, in particular theIntergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change and Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils and other new
and existing scientific networks and platforms; and(d) that the Conference of Parties shall adopt the Terms of Reference for the Science-Policy
Interface at the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties.
28. DECIDES, that the Communication Education Participation and Awareness (CEPA) Oversight
Panel is discontinued and its functions added to the Science-Policy Interface.
29. DECIDES to revise and adopt the Rules of Procedure accordingly in relation to this resolution at
the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties.
30. REQUESTS the secretariat to prepare agendas and related documentation for all meetings of thesubsidiary bodies and the Conferences of the Parties well in advance and ensure as far as
possible that the meetings are scheduled without overlaps with meetings of other multilateralenvironmental agreements.
31. REQUESTS the Secretariat to start a system of notifications /Call for information and follow-up
on the decisions of the COPs.
32. INVITES Parties to facilitate the participation of eligible delegates in meetings under theConvention which should aim at the full and active participation of developing-country parties,
in particular least developed countries and small islands developing States, and parties witheconomies in transition.

SC54-21.8

10