WCC 2016 Res 026 - Progress Report

1.1 THE REGIONAL COOPERATION BETWEEN COUNTRY GOVERNMENTS HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY STRENGTHENED.
The development of the outcomes of Beijing in 2016 (mentioned in Resolution 26, paragraph 4a as “Yellow Sea 2016”) acted as a regional technical framework and provided an additional mandate for IUCN secretariat, members and partners to act regionally and promote a coordinated and harmonized approach between the 3 countries.
• The three countries participated in a joint workshop at the INTECOL wetlands meeting in Changshu, China to discuss coastal wetland conservation in Sept 2017;
• The outcomes of Beijing were the main entry point for the development of a National Workshop on the Conservation and Management of the Intertidal Wetlands and Migratory Waterbirds of the West Sea of Korea, in Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), 12 June 2017 ensuring notably the involvement of the DPRK in the regional process.
• In December, the 2017 Yancheng International Symposium on the Conservation and Management of the Intertidal Wetlands of the Yellow and Bohai Seas, co-organised by IUCN (with attendance of IUCN President) and EFG with support from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China, Jiangsu Province and Yancheng Municipality was the first workshop of its kind. It gathered the 3 countries of the YS to discuss the outcomes of Beijing and issues related to intertidal wetlands management and conservation, flyway conservation and WH and Ramsar designation.
• The main result and achievement of this process was the agreement to create a Working Group for the Conservation of the Yellow/West Sea intertidal and associated coastal wetlands gathering representatives from the 3 National governments and international partners. The Group’s key objective is to facilitate international cooperation for improved conservation and sustainable use of the Yellow/West Sea intertidal and associated coastal Wetlands. This working group was recommended in the outcomes of Beijing and will now act as a regional technical platform ensuring coordination under facilitation from IUCN, EAAFP and RRC-EA.
Overall the 2017 Yancheng International Symposium was considered a key milestone in the process of ensuring regional coordination on conservation of intertidal wetlands and migratory birds in the Yellow/West and Bohai seas.


1.2 MOVING TOWARD WORLD HERITAGE DESIGNATION FOR INTERTIDAL AREAS OF THE YELLOW SEA AND IMPROVED RATIONAL FOR JOINT/COORDINATED APPROACH BETWEEN COUNTRIES –
• Following ROK’s nomination of the SW Tidal flats for World Heritage designation, China nominated 14 Yellow Sea coastal sites (including Yancheng) to the World Heritage tentative list in February 2017
• Through the 2017 Yancheng International Symposium, countries gained an improved understanding on the benefits of WH designation (particularly relevant to DPRK which has no natural WH site yet) and on the benefits of a regional approach on designation.
• The Symposium’s technical participants from China and RoK demonstrated a willingness to cooperate on World Heritage nomination, but the exact modalities of this cooperation remain to be clarified.
• The representatives from DPRK requested additional information on the benefits of Natural WH nomination and the organisation of training on natural WH at national level.
• The symposium provided a set of recommendations which will be taken forward (see document attached). Key recommendations included a review of the boundaries of Yancheng Wetland nomination, as some important areas are currently not included, such as Tiaozini, Dongsha and other appropriate areas of the Radial Sand Ridges, Xioyangkou and Dongling. The boundary also needs to be large enough to account for the dynamic nature of the system.
• The Working Group for the Conservation of the Yellow/West Sea intertidal and associated coastal wetlands was also highlighted as a relevant platform to be created to continue facilitating the regional dialogue on WH designation in the Yellow/West and Bohai seas.


1.3 IMPROVED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RAMSAR CONVENTION IN THE YELLOW/WEST SEA REGION
• During the Yancheng symposium, to which the Ramsar SG attended, recommendations called for PRC and RoK to support a draft Resolution to Ramsar COP12 in 2019, to establish a Global Coastal Forum under the CBD, Ramsar, Convention on Migratory Species and EAAFP, proposing that the Yellow Sea becomes a pilot area for the conservation of coastal ecosystems, combating habitat loss, and reducing pollution and invasive species.
• Under the leadership of the Government of the Philippines, a DR on Promoting conservation and wise use of inter-tidal wetlands and ecologically-associated habitats was developed at the CMS COP in October 2017 and will be discussed at the Ramsar Pre-Cop in Chilaw Sri Lanka on February 2017.
• Through activities related to the resolution 26, including the Yancheng symposium and the National Workshop on the Conservation and Management of the Intertidal Wetlands and Migratory Shorebirds of the Yellow Sea in Pyongyang, participants from DPRK could engage with representatives from the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, including the SG and Ramsar IOPs. As a result, DPRK will become the 170th and latest Contracting Party to the Convention, the convention will come into force in the country on 16 May. DPRK the proposed designation of Mundok Migratory Bird Reserve, large intertidal wetland on the Yellow/West sea as one of the 2 first Ramsar sites in the country. It is an important change and element of context which will enable IUCN and partners to better engage DPRK in regional dialogues. .


1.4 SUPPORT TO CARING FOR COAST INITIATIVE AND CONTRIBUTION TO REGIONAL MANAGEMENT PLANS
The need for upscaling of restoration activities focused on coastal wetlands under Caring for Coasts was promoted through a number of events by BirdLife International and other stakeholders, including one side event each at the Convention of Migratory Species COP12 (Manila) and CBD SBSTTA-21 (Montreal), and an EAAFP-organised workshop in South Korea. Preparatory work and lobbying facilitated by the Philippine government led to adoption of a resolution “Promoting conservation of critical intertidal and other coastal habitats for migratory species” at the COP12. At the SBSTTA-21 side-event, key stakeholders in coastal wetlands were brought together to update on progress and discuss implementation of the ‘Global Coastal Forum’. A consultation of CBD Parties and other interested stakeholders on coastal ecosystem restoration, facilitated by the CBD secretariat and BirdLife International was completed in December 2017 – respondents acknowledged the urgency of action to implement coastal wetland restoration, and priority areas to strengthen the global coastal wetland conservation agenda.


1.5 THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RESOLUTION 26 SERVED AS A SUPPORT FOR AWARENESS ON POLICY CHANGES AT REGIONAL LEVEL
IUCN members and partners emphasized on the need to strengthen conservation of intertidal wetlands in the Yellow/West and Bohai seas with a focus on ensuring that reclamation was slowed down stopped and that its impacts were reversed. The recent policy change in China, strengthening the conservation of coastal ecosystems and aiming at severely limiting and reversing reclamation, is an important element of context which reflects the increased attention to this issue, in part as a result of international efforts, including Resolution 26 and its follow up.


1.6 RESOLUTION 26 WAS ALSO IMPLEMENTED IN NON-YELLOW SEA COUNTRIES
In the Gulf of Mottama, Myanmar, one of the largest mudflats area regionally and key wintering area for the Spoon-billed sandpiper an area of 420 km2 of the Gulf of Mottama were designated as Ramsar site in May 2017 and a management plan for the Ramsar site and a larger area of the Gulf is being prepared under the leadership of Mon state and Bago region of Myanmar with support from SDC and implemented by IUCN, BANCA, HELEVETAS and NAG. BANCA facilitated the meeting of the Spoon-billed sandpiper task force meeting in the GoM area in January 2017 and is conducting yearly surveys on spoon billed sandpipers.