Article | 01 Fév, 2011

IUCN congratulates the Ramsar Convention on its 40th anniversary

Video message of IUCN Director General Julia Marton-Lefèvre on the occasion of the 40th Anniversary of the Ramsar Convention

Photo: IUCN

Photo: RAMSAR

Photo: Beung Kiat Ngong Wetlands in Champassak Province_IUCN Lao PDR

This year’s World Wetlands Day marks the 40th Anniversary of the Ramsar Convention. Ramsar protected wetland sites cover an area of 186 million hectares, about the size of Mexico, the largest protected area network in the world.

IUCN has been privileged to host the Ramsar Secretariat since its inception, and is proud to be associated with the Convention’s important developments.

Ramsar is the first of the modern global intergovernmental treaties on the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, and it is still the only one that addresses a specific ecosystem. It has helped pave the way for international environmental governance approaches that we have today.

IUCN’s role as an international organisation partner to Ramsar puts us in a unique position to support the Convention through sharing scientific knowledge and practical experience. Our partnership is based on a shared stake in the global water crisis and a shared commitment to conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.

For more information, please contact claire.warmenbol@iucn.org

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Ramsar 40th anniversary celebrations