Ramsar Convention is one of the oldest environmental conventions, which has 168 contracting parties (countries), and hosts 2186 Ramsar sites all over the world.

The Convention's mission is 'the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world'.

The next Ramsar Convention Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP12) will take place in Punta del Este, Uruguay, from 1 to 9 June 2015.

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands http://www.ramsar.org/

Updated Oct 29, 2014