13th Conference of Parties of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals Organised in Gandhinagar
- The Thirteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP13), has been organised in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from 15 to 22 February 2020.
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the conference through Video Conferencing.
- Also referred to as the Bonn Convention, the 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) is an environmental treaty under the aegis of United Nations Environment Programme.
- As a host country, India has been designated as the President of Conference of Parties (COP 13) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals for three years with effect from 17 February 2020.
- India succeeds Philippines which was COP 12 President from 2017.
- The theme of the Conference is “Migratory species connect the planet and we welcome them home.”
- The CMS COP 13 logo is inspired by ‘Kolam’, a traditional artform from southern India.
- The mascot for CMS COP13 is “Gibi – The Great Indian Bustard” which is a critically endangered species.
- Representatives from 130 countries, eminent conservationists and international NGOs working in the field of wildlife conservation are attending the Conference of Parties.
- India is signatory to the Convention on Conservation of Migratory wild Animals since 1983, which provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitat.