The Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have signed a Donor Agreement to establish a UNEP/Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Secretariat in Abu Dhabi.

H.E. Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary General of EAD and Ms. Elizabeth Mrema, CMS Officer-In-Charge, UNEP signed the agreement in a ceremony on October 12, 2009 at EAD’s Headquarters.

This agreement follows an offer by EAD to fund and host an outposted office of the UNEP/CMS Secretariat, which will service CMS MOU on the Conservation and Management of Dugongs and CMS MoU on the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia.  The two MOUs were adopted in Abu Dhabi in October 2007 and  on 22 October 2008 respectively.

 “This Donor Agreement will benefit us because it will help the Government of Abu Dhabi exchange expertise with the scientists and experts at the CMS” said H.E Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary General of EAD.

”Hosting this Secretariat in Abu Dhabi will also help us achieve our goals of securing bilateral, regional and international cooperation and coordination for the conservation and protection of dugongs, sea turtles and birds of prey. This Secretariat will also facilitate the exchange of information with other dugong, sea turtle and birds of prey range states,” he added.

The Signatory States to the Dugong and Raptors MOUs formally accepted EAD’s offer  to fund and host the secretariat for the MOUs at Intergovernmental meetings on Dugongs held in Bali, Indonesia on 19 August 2008  and  Birds of Prey in Abu Dhabi on 22 October 2008 respectively.

The basic functions of the Secretariat will be to administer activities related to the MoUs on Dugongs and Migratory Birds of Prey and to facilitate communication and coordination between range states on these groups of animals. The Secretariat will also be developing projects and contribute to capacity building of UAE nationals in the  in the field of conservation of the environment.

This Secretariat unit will function independently in its day-to-day operations. The meetings of the signatory states will determine the MOU policy At the same time  substantive linkages to the parent Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and UNEP will be assured and maintained.

Under this Donor Agreement, EAD will host the UNEP/CMS Secretariat, at Al Mamoura building, for the three years. The Agreement will be subject to renewal for a similar period.