The Ramsar Convention Manual.pdf

December 1994
Mr James McCuaig, seconded from Environment Canada, serves for six months as Interim Secretary General, replacing Mr Dan
Navid.
August 1995
Mr Delmar Blasco (Argentina) becomes the Convention's second Secretary General.
January 1996
Memorandum of Cooperation signed between the secretariats of the Ramsar Convention and the Convention on Biological
Diversity, the first of many memoranda between the Ramsar Secretariat and the secretariats of other Multilateral Environment
Agreements (MEAs). In subsequent years, Joint Work Plans are developed to increase synergies between the two conventions.
February 1996
The Ramsar Convention's Web site is inaugurated.
March 1996
Sixth Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties, Brisbane, Australia:
□ adopts the Strategic Plan 1997-2002;
□ adopts criteria based on fish for identifying wetlands of international importance;
□ adopts working definitions of ecological character and guidelines for describing and maintaining the ecological character
of listed sites;
□ adopts a resolution on Ramsar and water.
October 1996
The Standing Committee formally establishes 2 February as World Wetlands Day.
The Mediterranean Wetlands Committee (MedWet/Com) is established as the first regional arrangement under the Convention.
February 1997
Bahamas and Georgia both accede to the Convention on 7 February, becoming the 99 th and 100* Contracting Parties.
2 February 1997
The first World Wetlands Day is celebrated in about 50 nations and becomes an annual event.
May 1997
The Ramsar Forum, a public e-mail discussion group for Ramsar-related issues, is established by the Secretariat.
The Ramsar Secretariat's Internship Programme begins with the arrival of the first group of four assistants to the Senior
Regional Advisors (then called "Regional Coordinators").
Ramsar publishes The Economic Valuation of Wetlands in English, French, and Spanish.
October 1997
First three-year phase of the Wetlands for the Future initiative begins by agreement between the Ramsar Secretariat, the United
States State Department, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service; later renewed.
December 1997
Wetlands, Biodiversity and the Ramsar Convention: the role of the Convention on Wetlands in the conservation and wise use of
wetlands, edited by A.J. Hails, is published by the Ramsar Secretariat.
January 1998
The Evian Project, to assist communications and training activities under the Convention, is established by an agreement signed
among the Ramsar Secretariat, the Groupe Danone from the private sector, the French GEF, and the Government of France.