Polar Bear Range States Meeting of the Paries (Virtual event), on October 30 - November 2, 2023.
The Polar Bear Range States will host a Meeting of the Parties to the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears (Agreement). The meeting will be a virtual event scheduled for October 30 - November 2, 2023 (see PBRS website)
The purpose of this Meeting of the Parties is to:
- Provide update on conservation status of polar bears and their habitats throughout their range and in each of the Range States
- Provide an update on the collaborative efforts to implement the Circumpolar Action Plan (CAP) for polar bears as well as decide on future plans in this regard
- Highlight and discuss other key issues of relevance to polar bear conservation as well as financial and administrative issues in the agreement
- Celebrate the 50 year anniversary of the Agreement
Stakeholders and partners with a demonstrated interest in polar bear conservation may request to be recognized as an observer at public sessions of the meeting. Stakeholders and partners may include but are not limited to:
- Governments not Party to the Agreement
- Any Inter-governmental organization (IGO) not a party to the Agreement or any intergovernmental organization
- Indigenous Groups
- Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO)
Interested stakeholders and partners are requested to submit an application for observer status through an online form by August 31, 2023 (here).
The Range States Heads of Delegation will consider the applications received and make decisions on a consensus basis, and applicants will be informed whether their Observer application has been approved by September 10, 2023.
All observers at the meeting are reqired to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Observers contained in Annex A to the Rules of Procedures for the Parties (here).
