The Convention on Migratory Species

CMS, part of the United Nations Environment Programme, is the main global treaty designed to conserve migratory species. It sets out ways for Governments and other stakeholders to help all wild animals that regularly and predictably migrate across one or more national boundaries. The implementation of these actionsis supported via further agreements linked to the treaty.

View The CMS Website.

The CMS gives listed migratory bird species significant protection in the countries which have signed up. They are also protected through linked agreements, such as the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement, thematic working groups and Raptors Memorandum of Understanding, such as on the illegal killing of birds and on energy infrastructure, and species working groups, such as on African-Eurasian land birds and on African Eurasian Vultures. This robust framework will be enhanced further with the establishment of the World Coastal Forum, the Lead Task Force and conservation of ecological networks of key areas. Now it is a question of implementation, implementation, implementation. 

RSPB is a national partner of BirdLife International and represents the BirdLife Partnership at the regular meetings of CMS and its various linked agreements and groups. We make sure expertise of the Partnership is fed into the decisions of these intergovernmental agreements and support national Partners to encourage their governments to implement these decisions to improve conservation of migratory birds.

By signing up to the CMS and its linked agreements, countries have agreed to tackle many of the urgent matters facing our migratory birds. Now we want to see a concerted and coordinated implementation of the treaty by governments and other stakeholders. For this to happen the political will and finance must be mobilised accordingly.