Last October, I and colleagues from the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), took part, along with experts from around sixty other countries, in a major conference at Loch Lomond, Scotland, to discuss the development of an international agreement to conserve migratory birds of prey throughout Europe, Africa and Asia.

I am delighted to note that planning for the conference, and for the agreement that was discussed at the meeting, was undertaken as a partnership between Britain’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and EAD, and under the umbrella of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). Other partners included the UK’s nature conservation agency - the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, BirdLife International, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, RSPB, the Scottish Government and its nature conservancy agency, Scottish Natural Heritage, and the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.

The aim of our initiative was to bring together expertise from around the world to monitor and protect a total of seventy seven species of birds, including eagles, falcons, harriers, kites and buzzards, and to raise funds for future conservation activity. The joint actions of countries along the migration routes of birds of prey are critical for their conservation.

In 2005, an independent study commissioned by DEFRA found that more than fiftypercentofthebirdslikely to be covered by the agreement were threatened either at the global or regional level, with some showing signs of rapid or long-term population decline. It confirmedthataninternationalagreement would benefittheconservation of these birds.

The long-term conservation of birds of prey is, of course, a matter for major concern, not least for us in the United Arab Emirates, where falconry is not simply a popular pursuit, but something that is a fundamental part of our national culture and heritage. Many of the threats to the survival of these species are well-known, such as habitat loss and illegal hunting and shooting, but there are other factors, too, which the planned agreement will address, such as the impact of climate change. Our overall objective is to halt the rate of the global loss of biodiversity by 2010.

Migratory birds of prey include some of the most threatened species worldwide and their populations are excellent indicators of the state of the wider environment.

As more than 50% of migratory birds of prey have poor conservation status in Africa and Eurasia and many of them are declining in numbers, concerted actions to save them is essential and urgent. This initiative to identify an instrument under the umbrella of the Convention on Migratory Species, jointly led by DEFRA and EAD, is not only timely, but critical if the migratory raptors of Europe, Africa and Asia are to be preserved.

To make this work on the ground requires strong commitment and bold decisions from governments besides leveraging support from key stakeholders. Many actions needed to conserve migratory birds of prey are common to other bird species; any conservation agreement for birds of prey will have broader conservation implications and will also help in keeping alive our age-old traditions.

During our Loch Lomond meeting, we discussed the geographical boundaries of the proposed agreement, the species to be covered, and whether or not it should be legally binding.

In collaboration with DEFRA and other partners, we in EAD are now planning for a further meeting in Abu Dhabi later this year, at which we hope that the new international agreement can be signed. For us in Abu Dhabi, achieving success in negotiating the agreement is only a firststep.Thenextwill be to put it into practice. In that process, we are confidentthatwe,inassociation with our partners, including the British and Scottish Governments and UK-based non-governmental organisations like BirdLife International and the RSPB, will be able to make a concrete, and valuable, contribution towards the wider goal of the global conservation of biodiversity.

Majid Al Mansouri is the Secretary General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, EAD