United Nations Wildlife Conference Focuses on Migratory Species

This week, world leaders are gathering in Samarkand, Uzbekistan for the Fourteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals or what is commonly referred to as CMS COP14. This United Nations conference is one of the most significant global biodiversity gatherings since the adoption of the Biodiversity Plan, which came out of the Convention on Biological Diversity (or CBD COP15) in December of 2022. One of the anticipated outcomes this week is an implementation strategy for the Biodiversity Plan.

This year, the conference theme is "Nature Knows No Borders" in recognition that migratory species do not adhere to political boundaries and that their survival is dependent on international collaboration and global conservation efforts. A landmark State of the World’s Migratory Species Report released at the conference reveals the number of the world’s migratory species is in decline and the risk for global extinction is increasing for many. It is clear that we are at a crossroads, and the only way forward is through collaboration. 

This is why Audubon has shifted towards a hemispheric approach to conservation, directing our work to the places where birds need us the most. Collaborative initiatives like Conserva Aves and the Migratory Bird Initiative help to secure the future of migratory birds. We recognize that most bird species in the Americas migrate annually between Canada, the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. So, like birds and other migratory species that “know no borders”, our work must be unencumbered by political boundaries and seamlessly integrated throughout the Western Hemisphere. 

Check out the Bird Migration Explorer to explore interactive maps for over 400 migratory bird species. And learn more about our hemispheric work in Canada, Chile, Colombia, Panama, and the Bahamas.