COP15, the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, concluded on Sunday (Mar. 29) in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul state, with 40 additional protected species, 16 new international cooperation initiatives, and 39 resolutions to be adopted by the 132 participating countries, along with the European Union. The results are unprecedented.

According to COP15 President João Paulo Capobianco, the conference was deemed a success both for the collective progress achieved and for the initiatives led by Brazil.

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“We brought 60 negotiators, including leading experts on birds, reptiles, mammals, and insects, all of whom were deeply involved in the debates held throughout the week,” he said.

Brazil secured approval for six of its seven proposals to include species in Appendix I (endangered species) and Appendix II (species requiring international conservation efforts) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

The shorebirds Numenius hudsonicus and Limosa haemastica were listed in Appendix I. The fish Pseudoplatystoma corruscans, the shark Mustelus schmitti, and the bird Sporophila iberaensis were added to Appendix II, while petrels of the genera Pterodroma and Pseudobulweria will be included in both appendices.

The only Brazilian proposal withdrawn from the negotiations concerned listing the shark Squatina guggenheim in Appendix II, on the condition that Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay take joint action to reassess the species’ status. “There was controversy over whether the species was at risk or facing some kind of threat,” explained Capobianco.

Other initiatives supported by Brazil but led by other countries, such as the French proposal to include the otter Pteronura brasiliensis in both CMS appendices, were also successful.

“Today, there are still 400 migratory species in the world that are not on any list, and efforts to expand protection for these species have been gradual. We managed to achieve a 10 percent increase. No other COP has seen such a significant result,” added Rodrigo Agostinho, president of the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama).

Among the 16 international cooperation initiatives approved, several Brazilian proposals were included, such as the Action Plan for the Conservation of Large Migratory Amazonian Catfish and measures to conserve the sharks Carcharias taurus and Cetorhinus maximus.

Under Brazilian leadership, 39 resolutions were also approved addressing health, habitat protection, compatibility with migration routes, and infrastructure - especially energy infrastructure, which often creates barriers to the migration of these species.

“One important aspect of this convention is worth highlighting: it is legally binding. This means the signatory countries must comply with its decisions. It has legal force,” Capobianco emphasized.

Multilateralism

The choice of Campo Grande, in Mato Grosso do Sul - considered the gateway to the Pantanal biome, which hosts hundreds of species along their migration routes - was seen as strategic by negotiators from around the world, noted Patrick Luna, head of the Biodiversity Division at the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“It is a region that brings us closer to the fundamental message of this convention: it is pointless for a single country to protect a species if it is born in one country, feeds in a third, and reaches maturity elsewhere. All countries [along its route] must act in a coordinated manner.”

The diplomat stated that Brazil’s selection to host COP15 is part of its policy of promoting multilateralism.

“We believe it is absolutely impossible to solve [global] problems in isolation, and this COP brings us much closer to that message,” added Luna.

The decision to strengthen cooperation among countries led to unprecedented outcomes, including an agreement to develop a strategy for resource mobilization. “It is a platform to help developing countries be fully equipped to fulfill their CMS commitments,” concluded the Brazilian diplomat.

*The team traveled at the invitation of the Brazilian Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.