Template - National Ramsar Committees NRCs

There are a variety of mechanisms to assist Ramsar Contracting Parties implement the Convention at the national level.Among those are the National Ramsar Committees (NRCs) or National Wetlands Committees.

A number of documents officially adopted by the Conference of the Contracting Parties encourage NRC creation and many Parties have voluntarily established NRCs to help them deliver the goals of the Convention.

Because the government structures, needs, and capacities within each Party differ, NRCs vary considerably from country to country in composition, structure, scope, and function. Thus, there is no single model for creating the ideal NRC.

Learning from the experience of existing Committees is the best way to help those who are interested in establishingor revitalizing one.

Are you a member ofa National Ramsar Committee and would you like to share the experience and lessons learnt of that Committeewith others around the world? Please fill in this template, consult and agree with your other Committee members on the information that you are providing and send the electronic version of the template(.doc) to the Ramsar Secretariat ().

The Secretariat will review the information, get in touch with you if necessary, and post your Committee’s story on the Ramsar website, underitsdedicated section onNational Ramsar Committees.

Country:

  1. Name of the Committee:

  1. Date of establishment:

  1. Scope of the NRC:
  • Was the NRC constituted specifically to consider matters under the Ramsar Convention? Or to consider broader related issues (i.e. biodiversity, conservation)?
  • How is the NRC helping implement the goals of the Convention? (i.e. Achieving the wise use of wetlands, international cooperation, designation and management of Ramsar Sites)
  • Does it have written and agreed Terms of Reference with objectives, and specific activities to meet those objectives?
  • Are the NRC objectives based on the Convention’s Strategic Plan?
  • Others points?

  1. Legal status:
  • Was the NRC formally created by ministerial decree/resolution? Or informally convened by other means (i.e. articles of association)?
  • Is the NRC government-led or NGO-led, or both?
  • Other points?

  1. Composition:
  • Who are the members of the NRC?
(i.e. Government authorities at the national and sub-national levels, NGOs, the private sector, academics, civilians, wetland managers, national focal points for other Conventions). Please specify.
  • Other points?

  1. Structure:
  • How is the Committee structured? Does it have a Chair person leading it? Is this a rotating role? Are there any permanent or ad-hoc working groups or sub-committees to help the NRC carry out its functions?Please describe.
  • Other points?

  1. Work Plan and Activities:
  • Does the NRC have a work plan?
  • What are the main activities undertaken by the NRC? Please describewith concrete examples.
  • Is there any strategy to monitor and evaluate the achievement of activities and objectives?
  • Other points?

  1. Frequency of NRC meetings and agenda:
  • How often does the Committee meet? Please also describe i.e. who calls the meetings, who prepares the agenda and how the agenda items are chosen.
  • Other points?

  1. Where does the funding to hold the meetings and carry on activities come from?(voluntary contributions, membership fee, permanent fund, other)
  • Other points?

  1. Implementation:
  • Does the NRC have statutory power to make binding decisions? Or does implementation of decisions depend on a government agency/ministry the NRC reports to?
  • Is there a cross-sectoral approach when carrying out the NRC’s activities?
  • Other points?

  1. Lessons learnt:
  • What have been the greatest achievementsof the NRC so far? Please give examples.
  • What have been the greatest difficulties in implementation? Please give examples.
  • Other points?

  1. Do you have any additional recommendations, comments or tips to share?

  1. NRC’s website link, if available:

Information provided by:

(Please insert name and contact details).

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