ABSTRACT

The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat, known as the Ramsar Convention, is a wetland conservation treaty with 171 contracting Parties. As an early multilateral environmental agreement, its obligations are general in nature. Each Party commits to delivering three primary duties: designation and conservation of at least one wetland site as a Wetland of International Importance; the wise use of all wetlands within its territory; and international cooperation with respect to wetland matters. Ramsar parties meet triennially at a Conference of the Parties (COP), the Convention’s primary policymaking body. The COP negotiates and adopts resolutions, traditionally on a consensus basis. It can vote on substantive issues but this has never been invoked. While the consensus-based approach ensures the positive support of the greatest number of Parties, it can also result in watered-down resolutions. While Ramsar sites are the largest global network of protected areas, many are under threat from on-site and off-site actions.