Bonn Convention

The Bonn Convention, officially the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), was adopted in Bonn, West Germany, on 23 June 1979 and entered into force on 1 November 1983. It is one of the core biodiversity treaties administered under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with its Secretariat hosted in Bonn.

The Convention addresses a gap left by other conservation regimes: species that cross national jurisdictions and therefore cannot be effectively protected by any single state acting alone. Parties commit to conserving migratory species and their habitats throughout their migratory range, recognising that range states share responsibility for these animals.

CMS uses a two-tier appendix system:

• Appendix I lists migratory species classified as endangered. Parties that are range states must prohibit the taking of these animals, with narrow exceptions (e.g. scientific purposes, traditional subsistence use).
• Appendix II lists migratory species whose conservation status would benefit from international cooperation. For these, CMS encourages Parties to conclude regional or species-specific agreements.

A distinctive feature of the Bonn Convention is that it functions as a framework treaty, generating subsidiary instruments. These include legally binding agreements such as AEWA (African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds, 1995), ASCOBANS (Small Cetaceans of the Baltic and North Seas, 1992), ACCOBAMS (Cetaceans of the Black Sea and Mediterranean, 1996), and EUROBATS (European Bats, 1991), as well as non-binding Memoranda of Understanding covering species like the saiga antelope, dugong, and sharks.

The Conference of the Parties (COP) meets triennially to review listings, adopt resolutions, and set the work programme. The Convention's Scientific Council provides technical advice on listings and conservation priorities.

Notable non-parties include the United States, China, Russia, Canada, and Japan, though several cooperate through specific CMS instruments without acceding to the parent Convention.