Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the key summit of the 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) on February 17 in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar.
The 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), an environmental treaty under the aegis of United Nations Environment Programme, is going to be hosted by India during 17th to 22nd February 2020 at Gandhinagar in Gujarat. This was announced by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar at a press conference in New Delhi on Monday.
“Hosting CMS COP-13 is a significant step towards wildlife conservation in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the opening of the CMS COP13 on February 17; representatives from 130 countries, eminent conservationists and international NGOs working in the field of wildlife conservation will be attending the COP”, said the Union Environment Minister.
On February 15 and 16, Pre-COP meetings will take place including the Stakeholder Dialogue, High-Level Segment Meeting and the Champion Night Award Ceremony. The Opening Ceremony and Plenary session of the COP will take place on February 17 followed by Side Events and Working Group meetings till the Closing Ceremony on February 22. Simultaneously, numerous national and international organizations will showcase best practices in wildlife conservation in the exhibition area, the statement said.
The theme of CMS COP13 in India is, “Migratory species connect the planet and we welcome them home. “The CMS COP 13 logo is inspired by ‘Kolam’, a traditional artform from southern India. In the logo of CMS COP-13, Kolam art form is used to depict key migratory species in India like Amur falcon, humpback whale and marine turtles, it said.
As the host, India shall be designated the President for the next three years. The Government of India is Signatory to the Convention on Conservation of Migratory wild Animals (CMS) since 1983. The Government of India has been taking necessary actions to protect and conserve migratory marine species. Seven species that include Dugong, Whale Shark, Marine Turtle (two species), have been identified for preparation of Conservation and Recovery Action Plan, it added.
