[posted on 23 October 2005]

Ramsar looks at cultural values

The Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, 1971) will hold its Ninth Meeting of the Contracting Parties in Uganda, Kampala, from 6 to 15 November 2005 (COP9). During this important event, a Technical Session will be held on ‘Culture and knowledge in wetland management’, chaired by Brazil. The provisional agenda of the meeting is the following:

• Introduction: Ramsar, cultural issues and human well-being:  history and progres

  (Nick Davidson, Deputy Secretary General).

• Action for wetlands culture in the Mediterranean (Thymio Papayannis, Med-INA Director).

• The role of cultural values in promoting the designation of Ramsar sites: experiences from

  Australia (Traditional elders from the area).

• Culture perspective in wetland management: the Thai experience (Professor Sansanee,

  Thailand).

• Mexican case study.

• Methods for the cultural inventory of wetlands (Maria-Jose Vinals, SEHUMED, Spain).

• Questions and discussion.

• Summary and conclusions: culture, wetlands, poverty alleviation and human well-being

  (Peter Bridgewater, Secretary General).

It is expected that the Technical Session will contribute to the preparation of a new resolution on culture (to be approved by COP9) and will provide new impetus to the work of the Ramsar Convention in this important sector.

We shall provide a detailed report on the results of the meeting soon after.