The Standing Committee

The Standing Committee of the Convention on Wetlands oversees Convention affairs and the activities of the Secretariat. It represents the Conference of the Contracting Parties (the COP) between its three-yearly meetings, within the framework of the decisions made by the COP.

The Contracting Parties established the Standing Committee at their third meeting in Regina, Canada in 1987, through Resolution 3.3. 

When does it meet?

The Standing Committee normally meets once a year, traditionally at the offices of the Secretariat in Switzerland. It also meets just before each meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties, and regularly through the COP, when it is called the Conference Committee. 

During the COP, Contracting Parties are elected to serve on the new Standing Committee for the next three years. The newly elected members choose their chair, vice chair and subgroup members, and set the date for their first full business meeting. 

Standing Committee documents

The proceedings of the Standing Committee during this triennium can be accessed in the box below.