The 8th Session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP8) to the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) will take place on 26-30 September 2022 in Budapest, Hungary.
Hungary and the World Exhibition in the international spotlight
This world event will take place from 5 to 9 October within the "One with Nature" World of Hunting and Nature Exhibition at HUNGEXPO, the venue for the Exhibition's main events.
We are particularly honoured that UNEP (the United Nations Environment Programme), which is responsible for the Agreement, has accepted the Government of Hungary's invitation to host this year's meeting in Budapest.
The Agreement, which was presented for signature in The Hague in 1995, has so far been signed by 82 states. The aim of the Agreement is to protect migratory waterbirds - an important part of the world's biodiversity - for present and future generations. The signatories to the Agreement recognize the need for immediate action to halt the destruction of migratory waterbird species and their habitats along their migration routes in Africa and Eurasia. These animals are particularly vulnerable, because of the long distances they cover and the continuous depletion and destruction which unsustainable human activity is inflicting on the wetland network on which they depend for their survival . Conclusion of the Agreement and its coordinated and concerted implementation will significantly contribute to better conservation of migratory waterbird species and their habitats, and will also bring accompanying benefits to many other animal and plant species.
The guests at the Meeting will be invited by UNEP. A wide range of participants are expected to attend, including the following: representatives from parties to the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds and observer states; representatives of specialist organizations and their relevant agencies; representatives of NGOs and other organizations involved in the conservation of migratory waterbirds. At the same time there will be considerable interest from national and international media outlets and journalists focusing on nature conservation.
“As a forum created for nature conservation and hunting, the “One with Nature” Expo achieved internationally significant results, and accordingly the work we have begun is worth continuing from a professional perspective, but also from a social, foreign policy and national image perspective alike”, Mr. Kovács emphasised in Riga.