Amid new findings that more migratory species of animals are facing extinction nations gather in Brazil to agree on actions
Freshwater fishes, big cats, seabirds, sharks among many animals whose survival is at stake
Campo Grande, Brazil — The 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) opens here today amid new reports that almost half (49%) of all CMS-listed species have decreasing population trends, and nearly one in four are threatened with extinction.
The State of the World's Migratory Species: Interim Report (2026) paints a stark picture of animals under pressure from a combination of overexploitation, habitat destruction, pollution, climate change, and invasive species.
Over 2,000 participants are expected, including delegates from among the 133 countries that are Parties to the treaty, scientists, indigenous peoples and local communities, and conservation organizations. The meeting is taking place at the gateway to the Pantanal – the Earth's largest tropical wetland, increasingly under threat from drought, wildfire and land-use change.
“It is a great honor for Brazil to host COP15. Holding this event in Campo Grande, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, is a strategic choice. We are at the gateway to the Pantanal—the world’s largest tropical wetland. This region uniquely symbolizes the natural wealth of South America and the interdependence among countries whose fauna and flora cross borders. The Convention on Migratory Species reminds us of a simple yet powerful message: migration is natural.”
- President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil
“Paraguay is convinced that protecting migratory species is not only an environmental task but also a development one. Ensuring the stability of natural systems guarantees the stability of our people, acknowledging the human right to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.”
- President Santiago Peña of Paraguay
High stakes
The UN wildlife conservation meeting carries particular resonance in Brazil, home to more biodiversity than any nation on Earth. On Sunday, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil convened a High-Level Segment with President Santiago Peña Palacios of Paraguay, minister of foreign affairs of Bolivia, leadership of the United Nations Environment Programme, and the heads of the world's major biodiversity environmental agreements — the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), CITES, and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands among them — signaling that migratory species have moved firmly onto the political agenda as part of global efforts to tackle biodiversity loss.
What's on the table
Across more than 100 agenda items, negotiators will grapple with threats that mirror the full breadth of the impacts of human activities on nature: illegal and unsustainable hunting or capturing of species, bycatch, habitat destruction and fragmentation, deep-sea mining, light, noise and chemical pollution, impacts from infrastructure, and the accelerating disruption of climate change.
Negotiators will consider proposals to include 42 additional species under the treaty, including iconic animals such as the snowy owl, the great hammerhead shark and the striped hyena.
What happens next
Plenary and working group negotiations run through the week. Listing proposals, concerted actions, resolutions and decisions, which will shape conservation policy and species protections for years to come, will be considered for adoption on Sunday, 29 March 2026.
Throughout the week, special events will include the unveiling of a major scientific study on migratory freshwater fish (Global Assessment of Migratory Freshwater Fishes), and the introduction of the Americas Flyways Atlas, a groundbreaking new online platform developed by CMS and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology highlighting vital corridors and stopover sites for migratory birds.
A new CMS effort to address the serious threat of illegal and unsustainable taking – the Global Initiative on Taking of Migratory Species (GTI) will also be launched at COP15 to help governments, experts and local communities to ensure that any taking of migratory species is legal, sustainable and safe – and achieve their commitment under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The Initiative focuses on domestic use, which may pose a significantly greater risk than international trade.
“The conservation of migratory species challenges humanity’s ability to cooperate in the face of a simple fact: life on Earth is interdependent. At this moment in history, this is not merely a scientific observation — it is an ethical and political imperative that demands responses commensurate with the multiple crises we face: climate, ecological, and global governance.”
- Marina Silva, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Brazil
“The theme of COP15, ‘Connecting Nature to Sustain Life,’ has never been more important. Migratory animals — from elephants, big cats, raptors, freshwater fish, sea turtles, whales, waterbirds, and even butterflies — are not just wildlife spectacles. They are the planet's circulatory system, driving pollination, seed dispersal, carbon storage, pest control and nutrient cycling across entire continents. When their corridors break down, ecosystems follow.”
Inger Andersen, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme. “COP15 in Brazil – the world’s most biodiverse country – represents a significant milestone for advancing international collaboration on the conservation of migratory species and more broadly on reversing biodiversity loss. The 2024 State of the World’s Migratory Species report and the 2026 Interim Report provide invaluable information on the conservation status of migratory species, the major threats, and the actions needed to address such threats. The main drivers of declines remain unchanged - habitat loss, overexploitation, climate change, and pollution. We know what needs to be done, and Parties here in Campo Grande have the opportunity to adopt measures to ensure the long-term survival of migratory wildlife and healthy ecosystems for future generations,”
- Amy Fraenkel, CMS Executive Secretary.
At a glance: CMS and COP15
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the governing body of CMS, which meets every 3 years to review progress, add new species under the Treaty, and strengthen actions to address conservation needs as well as continuing or emerging threats. Strong science underpins the COP’s agenda, ensuring that policy discussions reflect the best available evidence on threats, population trends and effective response measures.
Venue: Bosque Expo, Campo Grande, Brazil (bosquedosipes.com/bosque-expo)
Dates: Monday 23 March to Sunday 29 March 2026
COP15 media accreditation: https://bit.ly/cms-cop15-media-registration
COP15 media briefing (Thurs. 5 March): recording at https://bit.ly/3MSEhf6
COP15 primer: Key issues and events -- what’s on the table, what to expect: https://conta.cc/4aK8t3K
COP15 opening press conference
Monday, March 23, 2026,
COP15 venue in Campo Grande.
1:45 pm AMT/ EDT (5:45 pm GMT)
The event will be livestreamed via the CMS Youtube Channel COP15 Playlist and will feature the presentation of the State of the World’s Migratory Species: Interim Report 2026.
Key speakers:
Marina Silva, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Brazil;
João Paulo Capobianco, Chair of COP15 and Executive Secretary, Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (Brazil);
Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Assistant UN Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director, UN Environment Programme;
Amy Fraenkel, Executive Secretary, Convention on Migratory Species;
Kelly Malsch, Head of Nature Conserved, UNEP-WCMC, and lead author of the State of the World’s Migratory Species: Interim Report (2026).
The press conference will provide an overview of the week’s agenda, major scientific findings, and anticipated negotiations and outcomes.
On the evening of 23 March, the Migratory Species Champion Night will recognize CMS Parties for outstanding contributions to protecting wildlife on the move.
Resources
The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals is a legally binding international treaty under the United Nations. CMS is one of the most important global frameworks for wildlife conservation and plays a vital role in addressing the global biodiversity crisis.
By fostering international collaboration, supporting research, and developing conservation agreements and actions among the Range States in which these species are found, CMS ensures the long-term survival of migratory species of wild animals and their habitats, and the vital benefits they provide.
132 countries plus the European Union are Parties to CMS. In addition, several non-Party countries have signed one or more binding CMS Agreements to protect migratory species.
CMS Appendices I and II
CMS Appendix I comprises migratory species in danger of extinction in the wild throughout all or a significant portion of their range. Parties that are Range States to a migratory species listed on Appendix I endeavour to strictly protect them by prohibiting the taking of such species (including the deliberate killing, capture or disturbance), with a very restricted scope for exceptions; conserving and, where appropriate, restoring their habitats; preventing, removing or mitigating obstacles to their migration; and controlling other factors that might endanger them.
Appendix II migratory species require international agreement for their conservation and management. It also includes species whose conservation status would significantly benefit from the international cooperation that could be achieved by an international agreement. This can include setting common objectives and management measures for shared populations, preparing and implementing joint action plans, coordinating monitoring and research, sharing data and best practices, and working together to conserve and restore key habitats along the species’ migration routes. The aim is to ensure that protection and management efforts are aligned across borders so that conservation gains in one country are not lost in another.
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The State of the World's Migratory Species: Interim Report (2026) paints a stark picture of animals under pressure from a combination of overexploitation, habitat destruction, pollution, climate change, and invasive species.
Over 2,000 participants are expected, including delegates from among the 133 countries that are Parties to the treaty, scientists, indigenous peoples and local communities, and conservation organizations. The meeting is taking place at the gateway to the Pantanal – the Earth's largest tropical wetland, increasingly under threat from drought, wildfire and land-use change.
“It is a great honor for Brazil to host COP15. Holding this event in Campo Grande, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, is a strategic choice. We are at the gateway to the Pantanal—the world’s largest tropical wetland. This region uniquely symbolizes the natural wealth of South America and the interdependence among countries whose fauna and flora cross borders. The Convention on Migratory Species reminds us of a simple yet powerful message: migration is natural.”
- President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil
“Paraguay is convinced that protecting migratory species is not only an environmental task but also a development one. Ensuring the stability of natural systems guarantees the stability of our people, acknowledging the human right to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.”
- President Santiago Peña of Paraguay
High stakes
The UN wildlife conservation meeting carries particular resonance in Brazil, home to more biodiversity than any nation on Earth. On Sunday, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil convened a High-Level Segment with President Santiago Peña Palacios of Paraguay, minister of foreign affairs of Bolivia, leadership of the United Nations Environment Programme, and the heads of the world's major biodiversity environmental agreements — the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), CITES, and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands among them — signaling that migratory species have moved firmly onto the political agenda as part of global efforts to tackle biodiversity loss.
What's on the table
Across more than 100 agenda items, negotiators will grapple with threats that mirror the full breadth of the impacts of human activities on nature: illegal and unsustainable hunting or capturing of species, bycatch, habitat destruction and fragmentation, deep-sea mining, light, noise and chemical pollution, impacts from infrastructure, and the accelerating disruption of climate change.
Negotiators will consider proposals to include 42 additional species under the treaty, including iconic animals such as the snowy owl, the great hammerhead shark and the striped hyena.
What happens next
Plenary and working group negotiations run through the week. Listing proposals, concerted actions, resolutions and decisions, which will shape conservation policy and species protections for years to come, will be considered for adoption on Sunday, 29 March 2026.
Throughout the week, special events will include the unveiling of a major scientific study on migratory freshwater fish (Global Assessment of Migratory Freshwater Fishes), and the introduction of the Americas Flyways Atlas, a groundbreaking new online platform developed by CMS and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology highlighting vital corridors and stopover sites for migratory birds.
A new CMS effort to address the serious threat of illegal and unsustainable taking – the Global Initiative on Taking of Migratory Species (GTI) will also be launched at COP15 to help governments, experts and local communities to ensure that any taking of migratory species is legal, sustainable and safe – and achieve their commitment under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The Initiative focuses on domestic use, which may pose a significantly greater risk than international trade.
“The conservation of migratory species challenges humanity’s ability to cooperate in the face of a simple fact: life on Earth is interdependent. At this moment in history, this is not merely a scientific observation — it is an ethical and political imperative that demands responses commensurate with the multiple crises we face: climate, ecological, and global governance.”
- Marina Silva, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Brazil
“The theme of COP15, ‘Connecting Nature to Sustain Life,’ has never been more important. Migratory animals — from elephants, big cats, raptors, freshwater fish, sea turtles, whales, waterbirds, and even butterflies — are not just wildlife spectacles. They are the planet's circulatory system, driving pollination, seed dispersal, carbon storage, pest control and nutrient cycling across entire continents. When their corridors break down, ecosystems follow.”
Inger Andersen, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme. “COP15 in Brazil – the world’s most biodiverse country – represents a significant milestone for advancing international collaboration on the conservation of migratory species and more broadly on reversing biodiversity loss. The 2024 State of the World’s Migratory Species report and the 2026 Interim Report provide invaluable information on the conservation status of migratory species, the major threats, and the actions needed to address such threats. The main drivers of declines remain unchanged - habitat loss, overexploitation, climate change, and pollution. We know what needs to be done, and Parties here in Campo Grande have the opportunity to adopt measures to ensure the long-term survival of migratory wildlife and healthy ecosystems for future generations,”
- Amy Fraenkel, CMS Executive Secretary.
At a glance: CMS and COP15
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the governing body of CMS, which meets every 3 years to review progress, add new species under the Treaty, and strengthen actions to address conservation needs as well as continuing or emerging threats. Strong science underpins the COP’s agenda, ensuring that policy discussions reflect the best available evidence on threats, population trends and effective response measures.
Venue: Bosque Expo, Campo Grande, Brazil (bosquedosipes.com/bosque-expo)
Dates: Monday 23 March to Sunday 29 March 2026
COP15 media accreditation: https://bit.ly/cms-cop15-media-registration
COP15 media briefing (Thurs. 5 March): recording at https://bit.ly/3MSEhf6
COP15 primer: Key issues and events -- what’s on the table, what to expect: https://conta.cc/4aK8t3K
COP15 opening press conference
Monday, March 23, 2026,
COP15 venue in Campo Grande.
1:45 pm AMT/ EDT (5:45 pm GMT)
The event will be livestreamed via the CMS Youtube Channel COP15 Playlist and will feature the presentation of the State of the World’s Migratory Species: Interim Report 2026.
Key speakers:
Marina Silva, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Brazil;
João Paulo Capobianco, Chair of COP15 and Executive Secretary, Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (Brazil);
Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Assistant UN Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director, UN Environment Programme;
Amy Fraenkel, Executive Secretary, Convention on Migratory Species;
Kelly Malsch, Head of Nature Conserved, UNEP-WCMC, and lead author of the State of the World’s Migratory Species: Interim Report (2026).
The press conference will provide an overview of the week’s agenda, major scientific findings, and anticipated negotiations and outcomes.
On the evening of 23 March, the Migratory Species Champion Night will recognize CMS Parties for outstanding contributions to protecting wildlife on the move.
Resources
-
Freshwater fish photos: https://bit.ly/freshwater-fish-photo-assets
The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals is a legally binding international treaty under the United Nations. CMS is one of the most important global frameworks for wildlife conservation and plays a vital role in addressing the global biodiversity crisis.
By fostering international collaboration, supporting research, and developing conservation agreements and actions among the Range States in which these species are found, CMS ensures the long-term survival of migratory species of wild animals and their habitats, and the vital benefits they provide.
132 countries plus the European Union are Parties to CMS. In addition, several non-Party countries have signed one or more binding CMS Agreements to protect migratory species.
CMS Appendices I and II
CMS Appendix I comprises migratory species in danger of extinction in the wild throughout all or a significant portion of their range. Parties that are Range States to a migratory species listed on Appendix I endeavour to strictly protect them by prohibiting the taking of such species (including the deliberate killing, capture or disturbance), with a very restricted scope for exceptions; conserving and, where appropriate, restoring their habitats; preventing, removing or mitigating obstacles to their migration; and controlling other factors that might endanger them.
Appendix II migratory species require international agreement for their conservation and management. It also includes species whose conservation status would significantly benefit from the international cooperation that could be achieved by an international agreement. This can include setting common objectives and management measures for shared populations, preparing and implementing joint action plans, coordinating monitoring and research, sharing data and best practices, and working together to conserve and restore key habitats along the species’ migration routes. The aim is to ensure that protection and management efforts are aligned across borders so that conservation gains in one country are not lost in another.
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