The Ramsar Convention Manual.pdf

4.4.7 Project support and external support agencies
The Ramsar Secretariat has a mandate to initiate and maintain contacts with external support agencies, both in order to sensitize
them to the need for wetland conservation and wise use as an integral part of their projects, and to solicit from them greater
support for projects aimed at the environmentally sound management of wetlands.
For example, implementing the recommendations of a Ramsar Advisory Mission report may call for considerable investment,
requiring external support in the case of developing countries or countries with economies in transition. It is desirable,
therefore, that donor governments and organizations pay particular attention to these needs if the benefits gained by application
of the Mission are to be secured.
The Secretariat places a high priority on working with donor agencies to assist in wetlands work in developing countries. As of
September 2003, for example, in Africa alone, Ramsar staff is working with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) on
multinational wetland projects involving the Lake Chad Basin Commission's five member states, the Niger Basin Authority's
nine states, and the range states of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA). In addition, Ramsar is
involved in wetland projects in Africa which are benefiting from bilateral assistance from agencies in Belgium, Denmark,
France, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the European Union. At the same time, Ramsar is also working
with African projects receiving financial and in-kind assistance from the Convention's four International Organization Partners
(BirdLife International, IUCN, Wetlands International, and WWF, especially the Living Waters Programme), as well as from
Oiseaux Migrateurs du Pal^arctique Occidental (OMPO), the Macarthur Foundation, the MAVA Foundation, the Fondation
internationale du Banc d'Arguin (FIBA), and the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Significant private-sector financial
assistance for Ramsar-related projects in Africa is also coming from the Danone Groupe, Banrock Station Wines, and Point
Afrique, a French air transport company that donates low-cost transportation and accommodation to assist in African
development.
4.5 Communicating the Ramsar message
Communicating the Ramsar message about the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their natural resources is achieved at
an international level by the activities of the Secretariat and the partner organizations and at national and local level by the
activities of the Contracting Parties and local NGOs.
An essential function of the Secretariat is to foster communication about wetland conservation in general and the promotion of
the Convention in particular, through:
□ frequent information and news releases made available to the public over the Internet and by other means;
□ informational publications and other promotional materials bearing the Ramsar logo;
□ the preparation and delivery of lectures and addresses at national and international meetings and articles in relevant
publications; □ contributions to the literature of other organizations; and □ financial assistance for the relevant
publications of other bodies, which will normally include the Ramsar logo on them.
Three hardcopy information packs are presently available free of charge from the Ramsar Secretariat: The basic introduction
to the Convention; The Values and Functions of Wetlands; and The Cultural Heritage of Wetlands. All are also available on the
Ramsar Web site. The small brochure, "The Convention on Wetlands", provides an attractive glance at the basic information
about Ramsar, and the A4-size "Emergency solutions seldom lead to sustainability" provides an introduction to the concept
of Wetlands of International Importance as a network of protected areas.
4.5.1 The Communication, Education, and Public Awareness (CEPA) programme
At the 7 th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP7), Resolution VII.9 adopted the first programme of
actions for promoting communication, education and public awareness (CEPA) under the Convention. Following on from a
review of the achievements of that first CEPA programme, the Parties adopted an ambitious new one for the period 2003-2008
(in conjunction with the new Ramsar Strategic Plan 2003-2008), and it incorporates many of the lessons learnt. The vision of the
new Ramsar Convention's CEPA Programme is: