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Andy Raine - New Executive Secretary of CMS and ASCOBANS
Andy Raine has been appointed as Executive Secretary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), effective Monday, 1 June 2026. In his role, Mr. Raine will also serve as the Executive Secretary of the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS).
Investing in Biodiversity: Unlocking Greater Returns
The Liaison Group of Biodiversity-related Conventions (BLG), a long-standing network uniting the executive heads of the eight biodiversity-related conventions, met on 21 February 2025 at FAO Headquarters in Rome ahead of the resumed sessions of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP16). The group reaffirmed their collective support to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
Published: Legal Assessment of the implementation of CMS and the Gorilla Agreement in Cameroon and Nigeria for the Cross River Gorilla and the Nigerian-Cameroon Chimpanzee
The CMS is pleased to present the legal study "Legal Assessment of the implementation of the Convention on Migratory Species and the Gorilla Agreement in Cameroon and Nigeria" for two listed species, the Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) and the Nigerian-Cameroon Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti). This study was prepared by Legal Atlas and made possible through generous funding from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, obtained via the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP).
Angola Joins Gorilla Agreement
The Republic of Angola has joined the Agreement on the Conservation of Gorillas and Their Habitats, also known as the Gorilla Agreement. Angola is the eighth of ten Range States in which gorillas occur to become a Party to the Agreement, joining the Central African Republic, Congo (Brazzaville), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa), Gabon, Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda. The accession of Angola to the Gorilla Agreement took effect on 1 January 2021.
CMS Membership Reaches 131 with Ratification by the Central African Republic
The Central African Republic has ratified the Convention bringing the number of Parties to 131.
Looking Beyond Tourism to Finance Gorilla Conservation
Bonn, 25 September 2020 - In celebration of World Gorilla Day 2020 (24 September 2020), the Vanishing Treasures Programme publish
Great Apes May Be Susceptible to COVID-19
Experts have concluded that great apes may also be susceptible to COVID-19. Both the IUCN Wildlife Health Specialist Group and the IUCN Primate Specialist Group emphasize that, while there are no reported cases of great apes having been infected, it is safe to assume that they are susceptible to COVID-19. Previous studies have shown that great apes are susceptible to infection with human respiratory pathogens. The Gorilla and the Chimpanzee are protected under the Convention on Migratory Species.
World Gorilla Day 2019
Today is World Gorilla Day! It is the day dedicated to the Gorilla, one of our closest relatives on Earth. World Gorilla Day is an opportunity for everyone to celebrate these amazing animals and to take actions to protect them.
Gorilla Agreement Meeting Sparks Off New Action and Enhanced Cooperation
The Third Meeting of the Parties of the Gorilla Agreement held from 18 to 20 June 2019 in Entebbe, Uganda highlighted the urgent need to conserve gorillas. Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu, Senior Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Government of Uganda, said: “Conservation of gorillas is a moral, constitutional, cultural and economic imperative.”
Executive Committee of the Great Apes Survival Partnership Meets in Paris
The GRASP Executive Committee held its annual meeting at UNESCO headquarters in Paris from 2 to 3 May 2019, sponsored and co-chaired by the Government of France. As an Executive Committee member, the CMS Secretariat attended the meeting. The CMS Secretariat, together with the GRASP Secretariat, presented a proposal to strengthen cooperation between the Agreement on the Conservation of Gorillas and Their Habitats (Gorilla Agreement) and GRASP.