Convención sobre la Conservación de la Vida Silvestre y sus Hábitats Naturales en los países del Consejo de Cooperación del Golfo 2009

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Convention on the Conservation of Wildlife and their Natural Habitats

in the Countries of the Gul f Cooperation Council

Convention on the Conservation

of Wildlife and thair Natural Habitats in the Countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council

Introduction

The Convention is the first legal instrument binding the six member States of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to coordinate their activities toward the conservation of wildlife and natural habitats.

This Convention, which was signed on 30 December 2001 in Muscat, came into force in April 2003. The Convention consists of thirteen Articles and three Appendices broadly dealing with Conservation of biodiversity and the natural environment within the member States through a number of agreed measures. The national conservation agencies in each of the Contracting Parties serve as the national focal points for the implementation of the convention. The (GCC) Secretariat serves as the Depository of the Convention. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia provides the Convention’s Secretariat.

The reader’s attention is drawn to the fact that the English version of this text is not official. Only the Arabic version of the Convention has an official character.

Convention Secretary General

Mohammed Al-Toraif

Convention on the Conservation

Preamble

The member states of the Gulf Co-operation Council, Believing in the common destiny and the unity of goal, which combine their peoples, and seeking to realize co-operation, integration and communication among their citizens to bolster the efforts being made in all spheres to realize aspirations towards a prosperous future,

Recognizing that wildlife, of all types, constitutes a basis for a conserving rural human prosperity and long-term economic development, in addition to its major importance as heritage for the Arab Nations, being a custodian of these resources which Almighty Allah has entrusted it with in order to preserve for the sake of future generations,

Conscious of that many species of wildlife of all forms and their natural habitats are facing a serious threat or alarm of being destroyed through improper exploitation and various human activities, which lead to the degradation of the natural habitats of wildlife,

Mindful of the necessity that conservation of all forms of wildlife, should be taken into consideration in the strategies and objectives of national planning

And in pursuance of the Seventh Principle of the General Policies and Principles for the Protection of Environment and Common Environmental Action in the Gulf Co-operation Council States,

Have agreed as follows:

Article (1)

General Provisions

1) Definitions

The following terms and expressions shall have the meanings assigned opposite each:

Co-operation Council: means the Arabian Gulf Countries Co-operation Council, which includes as members: the United Arab Emirates, the State of Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar and the State of Kuwait.

Supreme Council: means the Supreme Council of the Gulf Co-operation Council.

Ministers:    mean ministers responsible for environmental affairs in the member of the States of the Gulf Co-operation Council.

General Secretariat: means the General Secretariat of the Co-operation Council. Secretary General: means the Secretary General of the Co-operation Council. Convention: means convention on the conservation of wildlife and their natural

habitats in the countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council.

Permanent Committee: means the Committee concerned with following-up implementation of the Convention.

Environmental Co- ordination Committee:

means the Environmental Co-ordination Committee in the

Council States.

Secretariat: means the Secretariat of the Convention.

Wildlife: means all species of living organisms, including plants, animals, bacteria and fungi, in or outside their natural habitats.

Conservation:    means a set of rules, regulations and measures which ensure the protection of wildlife and its species, products and their sustainable utilizations and rehabilitating it and its natural habitats which have deteriorated as a result of human or natural factors.

Trading: includes import, export, sale, offer, barter and exchange.

Natural Habitat: means the entire habitats and what they contain in the form of communities.

Ecosystem:    means all the habitats and what they contain in the form of communities and associations of living species, including plants, animals and other living organisms interacting with each other and with their surroundings as an integrated system.

Biodiversity:    means all forms of life on earth. It includes all form of wildlife, of different genetic types and all ecosystems.

Products: mean any natural or manufactured parts taken from a wild organism.

2) Objective

The objective of this Convention is to conserve the ecosystems and wildlife in a sound and growing state, particularly the species threatened with extinction, and specifically when the distribution of such species exceeds the international border of two neighbouring countries or more, or when such species migrate across these countries, including the territorial waters or the airspace under their sovereignty.

3) The countries which are parties to this Convention undertake to develop and implement policies and activities for the purpose of conserving wildlife and its natural habitats and rehabilitating it and ensuring sustainable exploitation thereof, through:

a) enacting, implementing and developing suitable legislation, laws and regulations;

b) protecting and managing adequate areas of habitats suitable for wildlife as sanctuaries, whether natural or otherwise, in accordance with international standards and national legislation;

c) protecting wildlife and its habitats against all threats, such as pollution and environmental deterioration, and taking appropriate measures to combat such threats and control them, once they occur, in order to mitigate their effects;

d) stipulating that environmental impact assessment studies are carried out for all development projects before such projects are implemented, and creating a mechanism to follow up the implementation of the ratified environmental standards and requirements in each state;

e) paying attention to environmental education to spread awareness of the importance of conserving wildlife and its natural habitats and its social, economic and environmental dimensions, particularly on primary, intermediate and secondary educational levels;

f) seeking to spread awareness of the importance of conserving wildlife and its natural habitats by using different news media; and

g) co-operating in research, exchange of expertise and training of specialist personnel and finding solutions to the common problems related to the management of natural resources.

Article 2

Protection of Natural Habitats

Each party to this Convention shall:

1. Enact the necessary legislative laws to ensure conservation, and where necessary, rehabilitation and sound management of enough areas of natural habitats suitable for wildlife, particularly the species (or sub-species which are geographically isolated) or endemic species in any state that is party to this Convention.

2. Give priority to verification that the natural habitats being conserved are managed in a way that safeguards the realization of the objective of such conservation. This shall include the following:

a) Banning or restricting human activities which lead to the: (i) distortion of the nature of such habitats;

(ii) pollution or poisoning them or;

(iii) deterioration, or threatening with deterioration, of the biodiversity of such habitats or their environmental productivity.

b) Adopting appropriate measures to restore the biodiversity and productivity of the habitats which have been subjected to deterioration.

3. Co-ordinate and exert efforts, with other parties, to conserve the natural habitats in a proper way, particularly when:

a) Such conservation is on a common border area.

b) These habitats are important for the migratory species included in Appendix (II) and

Appendix (III) of this Convention.

Article 3

Protection of Wildlife Species

1. Each party to this Convention shall enact the necessary legislation to conserve the species of wildlife included in the three appendices attached to this Convention, as follows:

A) Flora species included in Appendix (I).

(i) conserving such species, wherever they exist in natural habitats or whenever it is necessary to re-distribute them; and

(ii) banning or regulating the uprooting or felling any parts thereof or collecting their seeds except save for authorized scientific or research purposes.

B) The fauna species included in Appendix (II):

(i) conserving such species, wherever they exist in natural habitats or whenever it is necessary to settle them; and

(ii) banning all forms of hunting or deliberate killing, destruction or collecting of eggs or causing their disturbance, particularly during seasons of propagation and breeding of their young.

C) The fauna species included in Appendix (III):

Verifying that any exploitation of such species is done in a rationalized way ensuring that the survival or existence of any of such species in nature is not threatened, by adopting appropriate measures, such as:

(i) banning hunting or designating seasons when hunting is allowed, and introducing systems ensuring the rationalization of the levels of such exploitation; and

(ii) banning and/or regulating the exploitation of such groups for the purpose of affording the opportunity to them to recover their numbers in a satisfactory manner.

2. Each party to this Convention shall adopt all the necessary legislative and administrative measures in order to:

A)    Register all the species included in Appendix (I), Appendix (II) and Appendix (III), which are allowed to be owned in a legitimate way.

B)    Regulate the method of breeding such species and enhance their breading in captivity.

C) Ban or regulate the release of such species to the wild.

D)    Ban or regulate all forms of trading, locally, regionally or internationally, in the species included in Appendix (I), Appendix (II) and Appendix (III) or in their products or parts.

3. Ban the owning of the animals species included in Appendix (III) or killing them, by any means, which may lead to their extinction, or through the use of any of the permitted tools without obtaining a permit specifying the conditions whereby their ownership is regulated or specifying such tool. Such permits and licenses shall be issued by the concerned authorities in the states which are parties to the Convention.

4. The party states shall, in addition to the measures provided for in this Convention, co- ordinate their efforts to conserve the migratory populations from those included under Appendix (II) and Appendix (III).

Article 4

Restrictive Measures

1. Each party to this Convention may adopt restrictive measures on a national level in order to regulate the trading in any wildlife species or in its products or parts, from those included under Appendix (I), Appendix (II) or Appendix (III), where such species is resident of the land of such state or of its territorial waters or migrating across them in an ordinary way or to regulate the use of any of species included in Appendix (III).

2. Each party to this Convention shall notify the Permanent Committee of any restrictive local taken measures of this type taken, as well as of any species provided with full protection on its territories other than the species included in Appendix (II) and Appendix (III) on the land of the country.

Article 5

Supplementary Provisions

To implement the provisions of this Convention, each party shall:

1. Co-operate with the party states, particularly when this would lead to enhancing the efficiency of the measures taken in pursuance of the provisions of this Convention.

2. Encourage and co-ordinate research and exchange information and expertise which would serve the objectives of this Convention particularly in relation to the programmes of propagating the species in captivity and re-introducing them in their natural habitats.

3. Co-ordinate and integrate efforts and exchange information in respect of the movement of

the reintroduce species across the borders to the land of another state.

4. Seek to utilize modern technologies in the exchange of information and networking among the concerned institutions in the party states to facilitate the exchange of information about the Convention and its implementation.

Article 6

Permasnent Committee

1. Under this Convention, there shall be established a committee under the name “Permanent Committee for the Conservation of Wildlife and its Natural Habitats in the Gulf Co-operation Council States.”

2. The Permanent Committee shall consist of representatives from all the GCC states,

provided that the level of representation on it shall not be less than a director.

3. The assignment Permanent Committee is to enforce implementing put the principles and objectives specified in this Convention. For this end, the Committee’s responsibilities and powers shall be as follows:

a. Follow up implementation.

b.    Facilitate conducting intensive research and studies on natural habitats of the species and their distribution areas and normal movements in such areas.

c.    Collect information and prepare periodical country reports about the situation, numbers and distribution of wildlife species and any changes occurring thereto, and factors affecting them.

d. Analyze and disseminate the information referred to under paragraphs (b) and (c)

above.

e.    Determine the requirements of wildlife conservation for the species and evaluate the effectiveness of the conservation measures approved by the parties in implementation of this Convention.

f.    Applying, adopt and revise conservation measures by using the best available scientific evidence which include the following:

(i) designating certain areas as protected areas to conserve biodiversity and rehabilitate it;

(ii) determining the start and end of hunting seasons;

(iii) regulating hunting methods so as to avoid intensive hunting in any area or region or of one species or certain species;

(iv) regulating grazing activities and specifying its areas and dates; and

(v) taking other conservation measures which the Permanent Committee deems fit to realize the objectives of this Convention, including drawing up plans and programmes to prevent the negative impacts resulting from development projects in areas of the natural distribution of wild plants and animals specified in the appendices attached to this Convention.

g.    Check periodically the appendices attached to this Convention and suggest amendments there to upon the request of any state of the party states, provided that the appendices and the amendments are approved by the Environmental Co- ordination Committee.

h. Reviewing the measures taken by the party states in pursuance of Paragraph (2) of

Article 4 of this convention.

i. Preparing the proposed budget for the Convention.

j.    Propose to the Permanent Committee’s draft by-laws and financial and administrative regulations and approved by the Ministers.

k.    Seek to facilitate amicable settlement of any dispute arising between the parties in the course of implementing this Convention, in accordance of Article 9 of this Convention.

4. The Permanent Committee shall convene at least twice per year. However, it may convene other meetings, ordinary or extraordinary, on the request of one of the party states, to be seconded by another country. The General Secretariat of the Co-operation Council shall call for convening the Committee’s first meeting within no more than three months from the date this Agreement comes into force.

5. The Permanent Committee may form specialist sub-committees or task forces, whether on a permanent or temporary basis, as necessary, to carry out its functions in an proper way.

6. The party states to the Convention shall implement the conservation measures recommended by the Permanent Committee, and approved by the Ministers in pursuance of the provisions of the Articles of this Convention, as follows:

7. The Permanent Committee shall notify all the party states of the conservation measures.

8. The conservation measures shall become binding upon all party states upon the expiry of sixty days after the notification date.

9. The Permanent Committee shall assess the implementation of the Convention upon the expiry of three years after the date the Convention comes into force, and at least every six years thereafter.

Article 7

Secretariat

By virtue of this Convention, a Secretariat shall be established, to carry out the following

functions:

1. Preparation and arrangement for the Permanent Committee’s meetings in co-ordination

with the General Secretariat.

2. Preparation of reports about the activities assigned to it in implementation of its functions by virtue of this Convention and submitting them to the Permanent Committee.

3. Co-ordination with the institutions concerned with conserving wildlife in the Co-operation

Council states and with similar organizations and regional and international conventions.

4. Co-ordinating the exchange of information and data among the party states to the

Convention and notifying the competent authorities of them.

5. Any other functions that may be entrusted to it.

Article 8

Amendments to the Convention

Each party to this Convention may propose making any amendments to any of the Articles of the Convention and submit an application to this effect to the Depository, which shall submit such amendments to the Ministers for approval. Amendments shall be governed by the same provisions related to the entry into force and those set forth under Paragraph (2) of Article 10 of this Convention.

Article 9

Settlement of Disputes

The Permanent Committee shall make best efforts to facilitate the amicable settlement of any dispute that may arise in the course of implementing this Convention. If such dispute becomes impossible to settle or resolve through direct negotiations between the concerned parties, the Committee shall submit it to the Ministers.

Article 10

Entry into Force

1. This Convention shall be approved by the Supreme Council and ratified by the member

states in accordance with their constitutional processes.

2. The Convention shall enter into force upon the expiry of ninety days after the ratification of

four Gulf Co-operation Council states.

Article 11

Reservations

1. Any state may, on depositing the instrument of ratification of this Convention, express one reservation, or more, about the species specified in Appendix (I), Appendix (II) and Appendix (III) or in connection with the measures and method of killing, catching or exploitation of one or more species from those specified in this Convention.

2. Any party state to this Convention may withdraw any reservation at any time by notifying the Secretary General in writing, and such reservation shall stand null and void after the expiry of thirty days from the date of notification.

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Acanthaceae

Crossandra wissmani يئامزياولا اردـناسوركلا

Ecbolium gymnostackyum

Monechma debile

Ruellia grandiflora )ةبرعم( راهزلأا ةريبك ةيليور

Agavaceae

Dracaena serrulata ةيراشنلما ةينينتلا Dracaena serrulata ةيراشنلما نيوخلأا مد Dracaena serrulata ةيراشنلما يننتلا ةرجش Sansevieria forskaliana ةيلاكشروفلا ةيريفسنسلا Sansevieria abyssinice ةيشبلحا ةيريفسنسلا Sansevieria ehrenbergii ةينايجربنرهلاا ةيريفسنسلا Sansevieria ehrenbergii )نميلا( بلذ

Amaryllidaceae

Crinum album ضيبأ فرس Crinum album ضيبأ نويبرقا Crinum album ضيبأ ةيفنرت Crinum yemense ينيم فرس Crinum yemense ينيم نويبرقأ Crinum yemense ينيم ةيفنرت Pancratium maximum ريبك فرس Pancratium maximum ريبك ديرب Scadoxus multiflorus راهزلأا ددعتم سكوواطسب Pancratium tenuifolium قرولا قيقر فرس

Asclepiadaceae

Caralluma spp ةعجضلا سنج عاونأ Ceropegia spp ةيلكلا ةعارد سنج عاونأ Ceropegia tehamana ةيماهتلا ةيلكلا ةعارد

Duvalia sulcata

Duvalia velutina

Huemia spp دبكلا عجو مأ سنج عاونأ Huemia spp خيشلا تابن سنج عاونأ Rhytidocaulon macrolobum

Rhytidocaulon sheilae

Burserrceae

Commiphora erythraea لفق Commiphora erythraea ماشب Commiphora erythraea ناسلب Commiphora sp لفقلا عاونأ دحأ Commiphora sp ماشبلا عاونأ دحأ Commiphora sp ناسلبلا عاونأ دحأ

Compositae

Kleina pendula ةيعاعشلا بضلا ةرجش

Anvillea radiata

Convolvulaceae

Merremia tridentata نانسلأا ةيثلاث ةييمرلما

Ebenaceae

Diospyros mespilliformis سونبآ

Ericaceae

Erica arborea جنلخ Erica arborea نربنيلا Erica arborea ةنتنلما ةربنيلا

Euphorbiaceae

Euphorbia ammak قمع

Euphorbia parciramulosa

Euphorbia fractiflexa

Hypericaceae

Hypericum revolutum ينويلوفرلا موتكريباهلا

Gentianaceae

Sabaea sp ةيبص سنج عاونأ دحأ

Sivertia sp ايتريفس سنج عاونأ دحأ

Globulariaceae

Globularia arabica يبرع مونغ

Globularia arabica يبرع ةحيرس

Iridaceae

Gladiolus daeenii ينيلاد ثوبلد

Oenostachys abyssinica

Iris albicans ضيبأ نسوس Iris postii يتسوب نسوس Iris postii فيفر

Globulariaceae

Globularia arabica يبرع مونغ

Globularia arabica يبرع ةحيرس

Labiatae

Plectranthus sp موتناوتكلب عاونأ دحأ Stachys sp ةيجيلثلا عاونأ دحأ Sachys sp راقلا عاونأ دحأ Ajuga arbica يبرعلا اقوجلأا

Lehuminosa

Acacia laeta )ايروس( طنس Cicer cuneatum يتانويكلا صملحا Acacia seyal لايس

Liliaceae

Albuca abyssinica ةيبص ةولأ Aloe sabaea ةيبص ربص Aloe sabaea ةيبص رقم Aloe sabaea ةيبص ريقم

Aloe sabaea

Aloe rubroviilacea

Tulipa biflora راهزلأا يئانث قبنز

Tulipa biflora راهزلأا يئانث بيلوتلا

Tulipa biflora راهزلأا يئانث ىمازخ

Moraceae

Dorstenia foetida ةنتنلا انيتسورودلا

Myricaceae

Myrica salicifolia قرولا ةيفاصفص اكريلما

Orchidaeceae

Eulophia petersii رتيب ايفولويا Eulophia speciosa ةيعون ايفولويا Holothrix arachnoidea يدنيوخرأ سكرتولوه

Passifloraceae

Adenia venenata )نميلا( نذع

Adenia venenata )نميلا( نيذع

Panunculaceae

Delphinium sheilae يليشلا قئاعلا

Delphinium sheilae يليشلا نوينيفلدلا

Rosaceae

Cratageus sinaica يئانيسلا رورعزلا

Rutaceae

Teclea nobilis )نميلا( يمرذ Teclea nobilis )نميلا( مرذ Teclea nobilis )نميلا( مرذ

Santalacea

Oxyris abyssinica )نميلا( يشبح قثأ

Oxyris abyssinica ةيشبح ىقلغ

Sapotaceae

Mimusops laurifolia قرولا يراق خبل

Mimusops bruguieri

Sterculiaceae

Glossostemon bruguieri يروغورب ثاغم

Thymeliaceae

Daphne linearifolia قارولأا يطيرش راغلا

Daphne mucronata فرطلا قدتسم راغلا

Umbelliferae

Ferula sp خلكلا عاونأ دحأ Ferula sp تيتللحا عاونأ دحأ Ferula sp ةنقلا عاونأ دحأ

Velloziaceae

Xerophyta arabica يبرعلا اتيافوريزلا

Protected

B) Birds

Pernis apivorus

Elanus caerulus

Honey Buzzard

Black-Shouldered Kite

روـيطلا )ب

لحنلا رقص فتكلا ءادوس ةأدلحا

Milvus migrans

Haliaetus leucoryphus

Ardeotis arabs

Black Kite

Palla’s Fish Eagle

Arabian Bustard

ءادوسلا ةأدلحا كمسلا باقع

ةيبرعلا يرابلحا

C) Reptiles & Amphibians Mauremy caspica Rana ridibunda

Caspian Terrapin

Marsh Frog

تايئامربلاو فحاوزلا )ج

ةبذعلا هايلما ةافحلس تاعقنتسلما عدفض

B) Birds

Burhinus oedicnemus Alectoris melanocephala Alectoris philbyi Alectoris chukar Ammoperdix heyi

Ammoperdix

griseogularis Coturnix coturnix Pterocles senegalus Pterocles coronatus

Pterocles lichtensteinii Pterocles alchata Pterocles exustus

Falco concolor Falcocherrug Falco biarmicus Falcoperegrinus

Falcopelegrinoides

Gypaetus barbatus

Neophron perenopterus

Gyps fulvus

Gyps rueppellii

Stone carlew

Red legged partridge

Philby‘s Rock partridge

Chukar partridge

Sand partridge

See-see partridge

Quail

Spotted sandgrouse

Crowned sandgrouse

Lichtensteins sandgrouse

Pin tailed sandgrouse

Chestnut bellied sandgrouse

Sooty falcon Saker falcon Lanner falcon Peregrine falcon Barbary

Lammergeyer (Bearded

Vulture) Egyptian Griffon vulture

Ruppells vulture

روـيطلا )ب

يوارحصلا ناوركلا قاسلا رمحأ لجلحا يبليف لجح

سأرلا يدامرلا لجلحا لامرلا لجح

لجلحا

)ىولسلا( نامسلا ةطقرلما اطقلا ةجوتلما اطقلا

ةططلمخا اطقلا يقارعلا اطقلا

نطبلا ةيئانتسك اطقلا بورغلا رقص

لازغلا رقص

)رلحا( رمحلأا رقصلا ينهاشلا رقص

)يركولا( يبرغلما ينهاشلا

يحتللما رسنلا

)ةيرصلما ةمخرلا( يرصلما رسنلا رمسلأا رسنلا عقبلأا رسنلا

Threskioruis aethiopicus

Ciconia ciconia

Sacred ibis

White stork

سدقلما لجنم وبأ ضيبلأا قلقللا

Design by:

Ghada Al-Bakr , Maram Al-gummah , Muneera Al-Shybani

Appendix (III)

Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf 33