DOHA: Qatar chaired the 21st meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on the Conservation of Wildlife and Natural Habitats in GCC countries on Saturday.
The meeting, organised by the GCC General Secretariat in Doha, was chaired by Director of the Wildlife Development Department at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Mohammed Ahmed Al Khanji.
It served as a preparatory session for the upcoming gathering of the ministers concerned with environmental affairs across the GCC nations.
Key topics discussed during the meeting included the GCC Supreme Council's directives on environmental policies, revisions to the Convention on the Conservation of Wildlife and Natural Habitats in GCC countries, and the strategic plan of the Committee of Ministers Responsible for Environmental Affairs. The committee also addressed significant international agreements such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife (CITES) and the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Other matters of importance included the general framework for the transfer of falcon ownership, coordination on wildlife security and protection within GCC nations, the organization of the inaugural Gulf Conference on Wildlife, and the celebration of Gulf Wildlife Day. The latter will involve a series of workshops, training programs, and discussions on managing ecological systems in the region. Additionally, the meeting covered the Supreme Council's decision regarding non-customs restrictions related to wildlife.
The representatives from GCC countries concluded the session by proposing several recommendations. These will be submitted to the Undersecretaries Committee for further consideration before being presented to the Ministerial Committee responsible for environmental affairs in the GCC at its next meeting.