Minutes of CLOSING PLENARY SESSION:
Wednesday, 4 October 1995
The Chairman Dr. Abdulaziz H. Abuzinada addressed the meeting
and said that a lot of ground had been covered during the previous
four days. He also informed the meeting that NCWCD has accepted
the responsibility of preparing a Directory of all regional experts
in the field of conservation biology as well as to publish a regional
newsletter at regular intervals. He then asked Dr. lyad Nader,
chief rapporteur, to present the final recommendations and action
plan to the meeting, on behalf of the Riyadh Conservation Forum.
The following document was presented and accepted by the meeting:
Keeping the momentum going
The Riyadh Conservation Forum has marked a critical step in developing
the presence and contribution of the World Conservation Union
in North Africa, West and Central Asia. In order to maintain this
momentum and generate substantive conservation achievements, participants
in the Forum agreed that a clear agenda of work needs to be pursued
over the period leading up to the next Forum in 1997 or 1998.
This will include the following principal steps to be pursued
during the next 12 months.
Development and Approval of the programme:
1. Integration of the recommendations and conclusions of the Forum
into the draft triennial programme that will be discussion by
the IUCN programme committee and council in November 1995.
Responsibility: Secretariat. Time-frame: 15 October 1995.
2. Review (by post) of the draft triennial programme approved
by Council in November by all members and participants in the
Forum.
Responsibility: members and participants. Time-frame: December
1995 to February 1996.
3. Incorporation of comments received into revised draft, and
review and provision of this draft by RAC.
Responsibility: Secretariat and RAC. Time-frame: March 1996.
4. Preparation and approval of final draft of the triennial programme.
Responsibility: RAC with support of Secretariat (preparation):
FUCN Council (approved). Time-frame: April 1996.
5. Review (by post) of final draft of the triennial programme.
Responsibility: Members. Time-frame: May to September 1996.
6. Approval triennial programme. Responsibility: WCWC. Time-frame:
October 1996.
Integration of the work of the Commissions
7. Establishment of regional steering committees or working groups
for CNPPA, SSC and CEM and management of these bodies to pursue
the priorities that were agreed for their action by the Forum.
(Regional Vice Chair of the Commissions will serve on RAC).
Responsibility: Commission Chair and Vice Chair together with
Commission Members. Time-frame: 1996.
CNPPA: Development of the regional action plan and specific activities
with in it.
This will be done in consultations with the other two Commissions.
Responsibilities: CNPPA. Time-frame: Comments on drafts 11 end
of February 1996.
CEM: Establishment of two task forces on integrated and land management
and coastal zone management that will assess the status of existing
knowledge and activities and define the precise contribution that
IUCN networks in this field may provide to the region,
Responsibilities: CEM. Time-frame 1996.
SSC: Development and revision of national red-lists of threatened
species and applying new IUCN categories.
Responsibilities: SSC. Time-frame: 1996 onwards.
Regional cooperation and cooperation in planning and execution
of the needed research on status and recovery of species, including
notably the Houbara bustard.
Responsibility: SSC. Time-frame: January 1996 for Houbara bustard.
Other networking
8. Preparation of a directory of conservationists in the region,
and regional newsletter-the first issue of which will report on
the Riyadh Forum. Responsibility: NCWCD. Time-frame: April 1996.
COLIN RICHARDSON RECEIVES NATURAL HISTORY PRIZE
Dubai-based ornithologist, conservationist and contributor to
Arabian Wildlife Colin Richardson has been awarded the prestigious
annual Sheikh Mubarak bin Mohammed Natural History Prize. In a
ceremony marking the award, UAE Minister of Higher Education and
Scientific Research, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al Nahyan, described
Richardson’s work, and that of other naturalists, as of “benefit
not only for the environment and wildlife in the UAE, but also
for the country’s people.”
Responding to these remarks, Richardson said that the most valuable
resource in the UAE is its unspoilt natural beauty and the wildlife
that lives within it. “As an ornithologist and a conservationist,
I believe that the time has come for creating a network of federal
wildlife reserves throughout the country,” he said.
The Sheikh Mubarak bin Mohammed Prize was created by Sheikh Nahyan
in his capacity as Patron of the Emirates Natural History Group,
to recognize individual contributions towards the conservation
of the UAE’s environment and wildlife.
INCREASE IN BP CONSERVATION PROGRAMME PROJECT FUNDING
Applications are being invited to apply for a share of the increased
funding on offer in the 1996 BP Conservation Programme. To mark
the 10th year of the Conservation Expedition Awards Fund, BP are
providing £34,000 in much needed financial support for high priority
conservation projects by undergraduates from around the world.
Since the programme was launched 75 teams from 40 countries, involved
in pioneering research projects investigating threatened animals,
plants and habitats as well as advancing biodiversity conservation,
have been granted assistance.
BP emphasize that they are “eager to attract applications from
the widest possible spectrum of specialities and geographical
areas”.
Projects must clearly address a conservation issue of international
importance and should preferably be derived from the priorities
identified by international conservation organizations. The 13
awards range from £1500 to £10,000 and are made in four categories:
Tropical Forests; Oceanic Islands & Marine Habitats; Wetlands,
Grasslands, Savannas & Deserts; Globally Threatened Species. Projects,
which will be screened by a committee of six specialist advisors
from BirdLife International, Fauna & Flora International (FFI)
and BP, must involve local students or counterparts and must have
clearance from the host government.
Project descriptions must be received by the Expeditions Officer
no later than 31 December. For further information write to The
BP Conservation Programme, BirdLife International, Wellbrook Court,
Girton Road, Cambridge CB3 ONA, UK