The Convention's Programme on communication, education, participation, and awareness (CEPA) 2009-2014

Action requested: The Standing Committee is requested to review and advise on the draft COP10 Resolution and annexed draft CEPA Programme, and to approve the document for COP consideration.

Note from the Secretariat

1. As noted at Standing Committee 36, the current CEPA programme, adopted as Resolution VIII.31 The Convention's Programme on communication, education and public awareness (CEPA) 2003-2008, ceases to be operational at the end of 2008.

2. In response to Decision SC36-17, which noted that "The Standing Committee thanked the CEPA Oversight Panel for its work on the draft CEPA Programme 2009-2014 and requested the Panel to prepare a final draft for consideration by SC37", the CEPA Panel has finalized the draft, with minor changes from the draft that was considered at SC36.

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Draft Resolution X.00

The Convention's Programme on communication, education, participation and awareness (CEPA) 2009-2014

1. RECALLING that Resolution VII.9 adopted the Convention's first Outreach Programme for the period 1999-2002, and that Resolution VIII.31, The Convention's Programme on communication, education and public awareness (CEPA) 2003-2008, continued the CEPA programme for the next two triennia;

2. EXPRESSING APPRECIATION for the work done by the Ramsar Secretariat and the CEPA Oversight Panel that was established under Resolution IX.18;

3. RECOGNIZING that, as requested by Resolutions VII.9 and VIII.31, as of 1 April 2008 118 Contracting Parties (75%) have designated their Government CEPA Focal Points and 100 Parties (63%) their national Non-governmental Organization CEPA Focal Points, but CONCERNED that a significant number of Parties have not yet done so, thus limiting the opportunities for coordinating CEPA delivery under the Convention;

4. CONGRATULATING the 23 Contracting Parties that have formed national CEPA Task Forces and in particular Australia, Germany, Hungary and Spain for having developed National Wetland CEPA Action Plans as urged by Resolution VIII.31, as well as the countries that have prepared CEPA plans at site level, but CONCERNED that so few Parties have thus far done likewise;

5. EXPRESSING GRATITUDE to the Ramsar International Organization Partners (IOPs) for their ongoing support to CEPA activities globally and within many Contracting Parties, and also to the Danone Group for its continuing sponsorship of outreach activities under the Convention;

6. RECOGNIZING that, with support from the Netherlands Government, the Advisory Board on Capacity Building for the Ramsar Convention, with input from the CEPA Panel, is developing a framework for capacity building for wetland wise use as a practical guide for Contracting Parties; and

7. RECOGNIZING the contribution that many of the Ramsar Regional Initiatives will make to implementation of the Annex to this Resolution;

THE CONFERENCE OF THE CONTRACTING PARTIES

8. ADOPTS the Convention's Programme on communication, education, participation, and awareness (CEPA) 2009-2014, contained in the Annex to this Resolution, as an instrument to provide guidance to Contracting Parties, the Ramsar Secretariat, the Convention's International Organization Partners (IOPs), other NGOs, community-based organizations, local stakeholders and others in the development of appropriate actions to support the implementation of the Convention at the international, regional, national and local levels;

9. CONFIRMS that this Resolution and its Annex replace and supersede Resolutions VII.9 and VIII.31 and their Annexes;

10. REQUESTS the CEPA Oversight Pane to monitor and report on CEPA issues within the Convention and the progress of implementation of the CEPA Programme as established by this Resolution, and to advise the Standing Committee and the Secretariat on the CEPA work priorities at the national and international levels, including the CEPA priorities of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP);

11. REAFFIRMS the call made in Resolutions VII.9 and VIII.31 for all Contracting Parties that have yet to do so to nominate as a matter of priority suitably qualified Government and Non-governmental Organization Focal Points for wetland CEPA and to inform the Ramsar Secretariat accordingly, and URGES Parties to ensure that the CEPA Focal Points are members of the National Ramsar/Wetlands Committee where these exist;

12. URGES all Contracting Parties, as suggested in Resolutions VII.9 and VIII.31 and in the CEPA Programme 2009-2014, to establish appropriately constituted Task Forces, where no mechanism exists for this purpose currently, to undertake a review of needs, capacities and opportunities in the field of wetland CEPA, and based upon the results of that review to formulate their Wetland CEPA Action Plans (at national, subnational, catchment, or local levels) for priority activities that address international, regional, national, and local needs, and to provide copies of these to the Ramsar Secretariat to make available to other Contracting Parties and organizations;

13. STRONGLY URGES all Contracting Parties to seek to develop and implement their Wetland CEPA Action Plans as integrated components of their broader environment, biodiversity, wetland and water management policy instruments and programmes, and to ensure that CEPA is recognized as underpinning the effective delivery of these activities;

14. CALLS UPON those Contracting Parties with wetland CEPA plans to evaluate the effectiveness of those plans on a regular basis, to amend their priority actions where necessary, and to provide feedback to the CEPA Oversight Panel on such reviews and revisions;

15. REITERATES the call to multilateral and bilateral donors and private sector sponsors to support appropriate actions as set out in the Ramsar CEPA Programme 2009-2014;

16. URGES the Ramsar Secretariat to assist in strengthening the capacity of the CEPA Focal Points by the provision of training, possibly with the assistance of the Advisory Board on Capacity Building for the Ramsar Convention;

17. RECOGNIZES the growing celebration of World Wetlands Day in a large number of countries, and URGES Contracting Parties to continue, or to begin, to use this occasion to bring attention to their achievements and continuing challenges in wetland conservation and wise use;

18. ENCOURAGES those Contracting Parties with established, or proposed, wetland education centres and related facilities to support the development of those centres as key places of learning and training about wetlands and wetland-related CEPA and to support their participation in the global (and developing regional and national) network of such centres under the Wetland Link International programme of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, WWT (UK);

19. ALSO ENCOURAGES Contracting Parties to utilize the capacity of the Ramsar Regional Centers in wetland training in their respective regions;

20. INSTRUCTS the Secretary General to strengthen collaboration with the members of the Biodiversity Liaison Group, especially the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, through the mechanism of the established Joint Work Plan, for harmonising the respective CEPA programmes of the two conventions, including collaboration with the CBD's Informal Advisory Committee;

21. INVITES the Ramsar International Organization Partners (IOPs) and other organizations with which the Ramsar Secretariat has collaborative agreements to support the implementation of the Ramsar CEPA Programme at the global, regional, national or local levels, as appropriate, with the expertise, networks, skills and resources they have at their disposal; and

22. URGES those Parties with other national and local languages different from the three official languages of the Convention to consider translating key Ramsar guidance and guidelines into those languages in order to make them more widely available.

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Background

1. This third CEPA Programme, as presented below, is intended to operate for a six-year period (2009-2014) in conjunction with the third Strategic Plan of the Convention[ to be] adopted at COP10, and it has been formulated to be consistent with the structure of the Strategic Plan and Work Plan. It replaces the annexes to Resolutions VII.9 and VIII.31. An explanation of the terms 'communication', 'education', 'participation' and 'awareness' are available in Appendix 1.

2. There is considerable evidence of a continuing interest in and increasing commitment to wetland CEPA within the Convention.

Vision and guiding principles

Vision

3. The vision of the Ramsar Convention's CEPA Programme is:

"People taking action for the wise use of wetlands"

Guiding principles

4. The guiding principles that underpin the Ramsar CEPA Programme are:

Goals and strategies to pursue the Vision

5. The Programme identifies what needs to be achieved (the Goals), how these goals can be realized (the Strategies), and what results should be achieved (Key Results Areas). An overview of the Goals and Strategies is provided in Box 1.

Box 1: Overview of the Programme's Goals and Strategies Goal 1: Communication, education, participation and awareness are used effectively at all levels of the Convention to promote the value of wetlands. This goal includes recommendations that relate to using CEPA to enhance awareness of wetland values, promotion of CEPA as a valuable process, and integration of CEPA into policies and planning at multi-scalar levels from global and national to basin to site level. Strategy 1.1 Foster sustained national and subnational campaigns, programmes and projects to raise community awareness of the important ecosystem services provided by wetlands, including their social, economic, and cultural values. Strategy 1.2 Demonstrate that CEPA processes are effective in achieving Ramsar's wetland wise use objectives at the global, national and local levels. Strategy 1.3 Integrate CEPA processes into all levels of policy development, planning and implementation of the Convention. Strategy 1.4 Support and develop mechanisms to ensure that CEPA processes are incorporated into wetland site management plans. Goal 2: Support and tools have been provided for the effective implementation of national and local wetland-related CEPA activities. This goal is focused on establishing the enabling environment for the effective implementation of CEPA. This includes mechanisms such as frameworks and action plans, the establishment of CEPA focal points, including individuals, organizations and centres, and mechanisms such as networks for information exchange and access to resources, experts and training. Strategy 2.1 Ensure that national and local leadership, networks and cohesive frameworks are developed to support and catalyse CEPA for the wise use of wetlands. Strategy 2.2 Transfer, exchange and share CEPA information and expertise that promotes and results in the wise use of wetlands. Strategy 2.3 Recognize and support the role of wetland centres and other environment centres as catalysts and key actors for CEPA activities that promote Ramsar objectives Goal 3: People are motivated and enabled to act for the wise use of wetlands. This goal is focused on using the CEPA framework and its tools and products to motivate and enable new actors to be actively involved for the wise use of wetlands. Strategy 3.1 Improve the individual and collective capacity and opportunities of people to participate in and contribute to using wetlands wisely. Strategy 3.2 Support and develop mechanisms to ensure multi-stakeholder participation in wetland management.

6. To be effective, implementation of this Programme must be undertaken by the following responsible bodies and collaborative partners of the Convention:

7. Those responsible for implementing the Programme, or who are urged to assist in implementing it, as shown in paragraph 6, constitute the Programme's key list of actors, but this should be considered as indicative and may change during the life of the Programme. All involved in delivering the outcomes of the Ramsar Convention clearly need to be involved in this Programme in some way, at some time. To assist Parties in monitoring implementation, Annex 3 collates in a table the Key Result Areas to be found in subsequent paragraphs, indicates the potential implementing actors, and provides a means of tracking implementation.

Goal 1: Communication, education, participation and awareness are used effectively at all levels of the Convention to promote the value of wetlands.

Strategy 1.1 Foster sustained national and subnational campaigns, programmes and projects to raise community awareness of the important ecosystem services provided by wetlands, including their social, economic, and cultural values.

Key Result Areas:

1.1.1 Campaign, programmes or projects have been undertaken with key partners to raise awareness, build community support, and promote stewardship approaches and attitudes towards wetlands.

1.1.2 World Wetlands Day has been celebrated with appropriate national and local events and promotions and resource materials have been distributed, in order to raise awareness of wetland values and functions.

1.1.3 Collaboration with the media has helped to inform decision-makers, key wetland users, and the broader society about the values and benefits of wetlands.

1.1.4 Appropriate Wetlands of International Importance have been promoted as 'demonstration sites' for Ramsar's wise use principle, and these sites are suitably equipped in terms of capacity, signage, and interpretive materials.

Strategy 1.2 Demonstrate that CEPA processes are effective in achieving Ramsar's wetland wise use objectives at the global, national and local levels.

Key Result Areas:

1.2.1 Pilot projects are developed and evaluated for a range of approaches for applying CEPA in promoting the wise use of wetlands, in particular involving those who make a direct use of wetland resources.

1.2.2 Existing CEPA programmes and case studies have been reviewed and the lessons learned from these experiences regarding effective approaches have been documented.

1.2.3 The findings and conclusions drawn from Actions 1.2.1 and 1.2.2 have been made available to Parties and the broader community through appropriate mechanisms (see Strategies 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3).

Strategy 1.3 Integrate CEPA processes into all levels of policy development, planning and implementation of the Convention.

Key Result Areas:

1.3.1 CEPA is integrated into all relevant Convention work programmes, including joint work plans with other conventions and organizations, and included in the development of all further Ramsar guidance for Parties through the CEPA expertise included in the Convention's Scientific and Technical Review Panel.

1.3.2 Where appropriate, wetland CEPA has been integrated into the business of national and regional wetland, biodiversity, forestry, agriculture, irrigation, power generation, mining, tourism, and fisheries committees and other relevant policy and planning committees where they exist.

1.3.3 Through collaboration globally and nationally, synergy has been encouraged with the CEPA activities under other international conventions and programmes.

1.3.4 Major stakeholders have collaborated to integrate wetland CEPA into all relevant regional (where applicable), national, catchment and local wetland and other appropriate sectoral policies, strategies, plans and programmes, such as those for biodiversity conservation, water management, fisheries, poverty reduction, etc.

Strategy 1.4 Support and develop mechanisms to ensure that CEPA processes are incorporated into wetland management plans at basin and site level.

Key Result Areas:

1.4.1 Case studies have been documented that show the positive role of CEPA in local management activities and the critical role of CEPA tools and skills in effective participatory wetland management, and these case studies have been made available to the Ramsar Secretariat for distribution to Contracting Parties and other interested bodies.

1.4.2 Multi-stakeholder bodies are in place to guide and inform catchment/river basin and local wetland-related planning and management, and these bodies include appropriate expertise in CEPA.

1.4.3 Catchment/river basin planning and management documents include communication, education, participation, awareness, and capacity building as central processes in the delivery of overall water and wetland management objectives.

1.4.4 Where they do not already exist, the appropriate strategies and actions for communication, education, participation, and awareness have been introduced into site management plans.

Goal 2: Support and tools have been provided for the effective implementation of national and local wetland-related communication, education, participation and awareness (CEPA) activities.

Strategy 2.1 Ensure that leadership, coordination and cohesive frameworks are developed at all levels to support and catalyse CEPA for the wise use of wetlands.

Key Result Areas:

2.1.1 Contracting Parties have appointed suitably qualified persons to fulfil the roles of national Government and Non-governmental Organization (NGO) Focal Points for wetland CEPA, and have advised the Ramsar Secretariat of the persons fulfilling these roles and their contact details (further information on nominating National Focal Points and their roles and responsibilities is available in Appendix 2); the CEPA Focal Points should be members of National Ramsar or Wetland Committees where these bodies exist. Where appropriate, Parties have appointed more than one NGO Focal Point.

2.1.2 A national Wetland CEPA Task Force has been established (if no other mechanisms exist for this purpose), including CEPA Focal Points, key stakeholder and NGO participation, and a review of needs, skills, expertise and options has been undertaken and priorities set for the co-development and implementation of this programme of work.

2.1.3 National CEPA Focal Points have been encouraged to collaborate with wetland and other environmental education centres and, as appropriate, a representative of such centres has been included on the Wetland CEPA Task Force or other planning bodies.

2.1.4 A national (or, as appropriate, a subnational, catchment or local) CEPA Action Plan has been formulated, drawing upon the CEPA toolkit developed for this purpose [the CEPA toolkit is in progress, further details to follow] and the Convention's guidelines on participatory management, and the conclusions emerging from Key Result Area 2.1.2 above have been incorporated into it. A copy of the Action Plan has been sent to the Ramsar Convention Secretariat so that it can be made available to other Parties and interested organizations and individuals. (The participatory management guidelines, adopted by Resolution VII.8 (1999), are incorporated in Handbook 5 of the 3rd edition of the Ramsar Handbook series.)

Strategy 2.2 Transfer, exchange and share CEPA information and expertise that promotes and results in the wise use of wetlands.

Key Result Areas:

2.2.1 Attention has been given to the effectiveness of communication and information-sharing systems among relevant government ministries, departments and agencies, such as education, land and water management, and agriculture, and where necessary mechanisms have been developed to address any shortcomings.

2.2.2 The regular updating of the Convention's Web site with appropriate materials, including key easily accessible CEPA pages and other resource materials, ensures that these remain an information source for the CEPA Programme globally.

2.2.3 Ramsar's International Organization Partners (IOPs), especially IUCN's Commission on Education and Communication (CEC), and other organizations with which collaborative agreements are in place have been encouraged to make suitable resource materials available to assist the global CEPA Programme and provide information on effective CEPA approaches.

2.2.4 Resource materials to support wetland CEPA actions continue to be produced, distributed and shared.

2.2.5 The Ramsar global e-mail networks include Ramsar Administrative Authorities, Ramsar National CEPA Focal Points, CEPA professionals, Ramsar site managers, local stakeholders, and those facilities dedicated to environmental education and awareness raising, and these have been maintained and expanded. Similar national e-groups and the linking of these with the global networks have been established and supported.

2.2.6 An on-line searchable listing of expertise in CEPA and of the CEPA Focal Points has been established and maintained to assist CEPA at national and international levels, and this service has been promoted to assist CEPA programmes and activities.

2.2.7 A Ramsar electronic photolibrary has been established, resources permitting, to support global, national and local efforts to raise awareness and appreciation of wetland resources and how these can be used wisely.

Strategy 2.3 Recognize and support the role of wetland education centres and other environment centres as catalysts and key actors for CEPA activities that promote Ramsar objectives.

Key Result Areas:

2.3.1 Education centres have been established at Ramsar and other wetland sites to provide focal points for local and national CEPA activities.

2.3.2 The capacity of existing centres at wetlands and the development of new centres to deliver high quality CEPA programmes has been supported and enhanced.

2.3.3 Where wetland education centres exist, the information they present has been reviewed to ensure that it is helping to promote the Ramsar Convention and its wise use principle in suitable ways. The centres have helped to foster communication and, where appropriate, participation among local wetland management 'actors' and stakeholders.

2.3.4 Wetland education centres have been encouraged to participate in the Wetland Link International network of WWT (the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, UK) as a mechanism for gaining access to global and national expertise in CEPA and sharing of experience.

2.3.5 Efforts have been made to promote and resource the twinning of wetland education centres to encourage the exchange and transfer of information and expertise among centres in developed countries and those in developing countries and countries in transition.

Goal 3: People are motivated and enabled to act for the wise use of wetlands.

Strategy 3.1 Improve the individual and collective capacity and opportunities of people to participate in and contribute to using wetlands wisely.

Key Result Areas:

3.1.1 A review has been carried out on current national needs and capacities in the areas of wetland CEPA, including in relation to the establishment and operations of wetland education centres (see strategies 2.1. and 2.3.), and this has been used to define training and capacity-building priorities within the national wetland CEPA action plan, including training for the CEPA NFPs.

3.1.2 In collaboration with the Advisory Board on Capacity Building for the Ramsar Convention and Ramsar's International Organization Partners, sources of expert wetland information and training opportunities have been identified to facilitate the sharing of expertise and knowledge at the local, national, regional and global levels.

3.1.3 Resources have been sought through appropriate mechanisms to support the training and capacity building identified as priorities through Key Result Areas 3.1.1 and 3.1.2, ensuring that key groups such as women and indigenous and rural communities have not been overlooked.

Strategy 3.2 Support and develop mechanisms to ensure multistakeholder participation in wetland management.

Key Result Areas:

3.2.1 Active participation as an effective process for building skills for wetland management is nationally recognized.

3.2.2 Participation of stakeholder groups with cultural or economic links to wetlands or those communities who depend on the wetlands for their livelihoods is given a high priority and is promoted at the national level, drawing upon the guidance available in Resolution VII.8 Guidelines for establishing and strengthening local communities' and indigenous people's participation in the management of wetlands, incorporated in Handbook 5 of the Ramsar Handbooks for the Wise Use of Wetlands.

3.2.3 Where local wetland knowledge is held by indigenous and local communities, this knowledge is respected and integrated into site management plans.

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Appendix 1

Understanding what is meant by the terms "communication, education, participation, awareness, capacity-building and training"

1. In applying this Programme, it is important that Contracting Parties and other interest groups share a common understanding of what is meant by the acronym CEPA, "Communication, education, participation, and awareness", and also the terms "training" and "capacity-building". The advice presented below is based, in part, on the Mainstreaming Biological Diversity publication (produced by UNESCO, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and IUCN). The definitions are intended to give a sense of what practitioners in this field commonly mean by these terms, as well as the perspectives which have been used in formulating this programme.

2. Communication is a two-way exchange of information leading to mutual and enhanced understanding. It can be used to gain the involvement of 'actors' and stakeholders and is a means to gain cooperation of groups in society by listening to them first and clarifying why and how decisions are made. In an instrumental approach, communication is used with other instruments to support wetland conservation, to address economic constraints, and to motivate action.

3. Awareness brings the issues relating to wetlands to the attention of individuals and key groups who have the power to influence outcomes. Awareness is an agenda-setting and advocacy exercise that helps people to know what and why this is an important issue, the aspirations for the targets, and what is being and can be done to achieve these.

4. Education is a process that can inform, motivate, and empower people to support wetland conservation, not only by fostering changes in the way that individuals, institutions, business and governments operate, but also by inducing lifestyle changes. It may take place in both formal and informal settings. Education in the broadest sense is a life-long process.

5. Training is the process of increasing or strengthening specific knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours that can be taken back to the workplace. It may take place in both formal and informal settings.

6. Capacity-building includes a range of processes by which individuals, organizations and institutions develop abilities for effective implementation of wise use of wetlands. Abilities include inter alia facilities, funding and resources, infrastructure, enabling environments, etc

7. Participation is the active involvement of "stakeholders" in the common development, implementation and evaluation of strategies and actions for the wise use of wetlands. Levels and kinds of participation can be highly variable, depending upon both the specific context and the decisions of the individuals and institutions leading the process. An indicative list of the range of possible levels and kinds of participation is shown in Box 2.

Box 2. Levels of participation 1. Manipulative Participation At this extreme, participation is simply a pretence, with 'people's' representatives on official boards but who are unelected and have no power. 2. Passive Participation People participate by being kept up to date on what has been decided or has already happened. It tends more to involve announcements by an administration or project management than to reflect active attention to people's responses. The information being shared tends to belong only to project professionals. 3. Participation by Consultation People participate by being consulted or by answering questions. Project authorities define problems and information-gathering processes, and thus tend to control analysis of the responses. Such a consultative process need not typically imply a share in decision making, and professionals are not under an obligation to take people's views on board. 4. Participation for Material Incentives People can participate by contributing resources, for example labor, in return for food, cash or other material incentives. Farmers may provide the fields and labor, for example, whilst not being directly involved in experimentation or the process of learning. It is not uncommon to see this called 'participation' in a full sense, but in this case people typically have no stake in prolonging technologies or practices when the incentives end. 5. Functional Participation Participation is sometimes seen by the relevant authorities chiefly as a means to achieve project goals, especially reduced costs. People may participate by forming groups to meet predetermined objectives related to the project. Such involvement may be interactive and involve shared decision making, but it frequently tends to arise only after the most important decisions have already been made by the authorities. 6. Interactive Participation People participate in joint analysis, development of action plans, and formation or strengthening of local institutions. Participation may be seen as an inherent right, not just as a means to achieve project goals. The process involves interdisciplinary methodologies that seek multiple perspectives and make use of systemic and structured learning processes. As groups take control over local decisions and determine how available resources should be used, they often feel an increasing stake in maintaining structures or practices. 7. Self-Mobilization In this model, people participate by taking initiatives to change systems independently of external institutions. They develop contacts with external institutions for the resources and technical advice they need, but retain control over how resources are used. Self-mobilization can spread if governments and NGOs provide an enabling framework of support. Such self-initiated mobilization may or may not challenge existing distributions of wealth and power, but they do tend to foster the most long-lasting sense of "ownership" in the outcomes. Adapted from: Participation in Strategies for Sustainable Development, Environmental Planning Issues No. 7, May 1995 by Stephen Bass, Barry Dalal-Clayton and Jules Pretty, Environmental Planning Group, International Institute for Environment and Development.

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Appendix 2

Roles and responsibilities of the CEPA National Focal Points

1. In Resolution IX.18 adopted at COP9 in November 2005, the Parties instructed the Standing Committee at its 34th meeting to establish a CEPA Oversight Panel, one of the key tasks of which would be to clarify the broad roles of the two Government and Non-governmental CEPA National Focal Points (NFPs) nominated by each Party. (Full details on the task of the CEPA Oversight Panel are available at http://www.ramsar.org/outreach_oversight_panel.htm.)

2. The roles and responsibilities of the CEPA NFPs were discussed at the first meeting of the CEPA Panel in May 2006 and recorded in the Meeting Report (available at the above URL), and this report was endorsed by SC35. The text below reflects their deliberations and should be used by Parties to guide their decisions on the nomination, roles, and responsibilities of their CEPA NFPs.

3. The rationale for the nomination of CEPA NFPs and key factors to be taken into consideration by Contracting Parties:

4. It is ultimately the task of each Contracting Party to agree precise roles and responsibilities for their nominated CEPA National Focal Points (NFPs). These roles and expectations must reflect the capacity to operate at different levels and the resourcing of the individuals filling the positions. The Contracting Parties should provide some information to potential NFPs of the expected time required to fulfill their role and responsibilities.

5. Suggested major roles and responsibilities of the CEPA NFPs. In providing a supportive environment in which wetland CEPA planners and practitioners can develop their work, NFPs should:

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Appendix 3

Tracking key actors and implementation of the CEPA Programme

The indicative list of key actors in the Convention's CEPA Programme from paragraph 6 of the CEPA Programme is reproduced below. To assist Parties in identifying actors and monitoring implementation, the table below collates a summary of the Key Result Areas in the Programme and indicates suggested actors from the indicative list ( ). Additional columns are provided for other key implementers that may be identified. For each actor, two columns are provided, the first to identify their involvement in a particular Key Result Areas, and the second to be used to track implementation. If desired, the level of implementation, whether national (N), catchment (C), or local (L) could be noted in this column.

Key Result Areas

AA

NWC

CEPA NFPs

STRP

IOPs

RRCs

OCs

Secr’t

1.1.1

Campaigns, programmes or projects have been undertaken with key partners to raise awareness, build community support, & promote stewardship approaches towards wetlands.

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

1.1.2

WWD has been celebrated with national & local events & promotions, & awareness-raising resource materials have been distributed.

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

1.1.3

Collaboration with the media has helped to inform decision-makers, key wetland users, & the broader society about the values & benefits of wetlands.

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

1.1.4

Appropriate Ramsar sites have been promoted as ‘demonstration sites’ for the wise use principle, & these sites are suitably equipped in terms of capacity, signage, and interpretive materials.

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

1.2.1

Pilot projects have been developed & evaluated for a range of approaches for applying CEPA in promoting wise use, in particular involving those who make a direct use of wetland resources.

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

1.2.2

Existing CEPA programmes and case studies have been reviewed & the lessons learned have been documented.

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

1.2.3

The findings & conclusions drawn from Actions 1.2.1 & 1.2.2 have been made available to Parties & the broader community through appropriate mechanisms.

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

1.3.1

CEPA is integrated into all relevant Convention work programmes, including joint work plans with other conventions & organizations, & included in the development of all further Ramsar guidance for Parties.

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

1.3.2

Where appropriate, wetland CEPA has been integrated into the business of national & regional wetland, biodiversity, forestry, agriculture, irrigation, power generation, mining, tourism, and fisheries committees & other relevant policy and planning committees where they exist.

Ÿ

Ÿ

1.3.3

Through collaboration globally & nationally, synergy has been encouraged with the CEPA activities of other international conventions & programmes.

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

1.3.4

Major stakeholders have collaborated to integrate wetland CEPA into relevant regional, national, catchment & local wetland & other appropriate sectoral policies, strategies, plans & programmes, such as those for biodiversity conservation, water management, fisheries, poverty reduction, etc.

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

1.4.1

Case studies have been documented that show the positive role of CEPA in local management activities & the critical role of CEPA tools and skills in participatory wetland management; these have been made available to the Ramsar Secretariat for distribution to Parties and others.

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

1.4.2

Multi-stakeholder bodies are in place to guide & inform catchment/river basin & local wetland-related planning & management, & these bodies include appropriate expertise in CEPA.

Ÿ

Ÿ

1.4.3

Catchment/river basin planning & management documents include CEPA & capacity building as central processes in the delivery of overall water & wetland management objectives.

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

1.4.4

Where they do not already exist, the appropriate strategies & actions for CEPA have been introduced into site management plans.

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

2.1.1

Parties have appointed suitably qualified persons as Government & NGO CEPA NFPs & advised the Secretariat of the persons; the CEPA NFPs should be members of National Wetland Committees where these exist. Where appropriate, Parties have appointed more than one NGO Focal Point.

Ÿ

Ÿ

2.1.2

A national Wetland CEPA Task Force has been established (if no other mechanisms exist for this purpose), including key stakeholder & NGO participation, & a review of needs, skills, expertise & options has been undertaken & priorities set for the co-development and implementation of this programme of work.

Ÿ

Ÿ

2.1.3

National CEPA Focal Points have been encouraged to collaborate with wetland & other education centres and, as appropriate, a representative of such centres has been included on Wetland CEPA Task Force or other planning bodies.

Ÿ

Ÿ

2.1.4

A national (or subnational, catchment or local) CEPA Action Plan has been formulated, drawing upon the CEPA toolkit & the Convention’s guidelines on participatory management, & the conclusions to emerge from 2.1.2 above have been incorporated. A copy of the Plan has been sent to the Secretariat.

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

2.2.1

Attention has been given to the effectiveness of communication & information-sharing systems among relevant government ministries, departments and agencies, & key stakeholders, & mechanisms have been developed to address any shortcomings.

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ