Option 1 includes activities to be implemented that the Working Group considered essential. Option 2 includes in addition further activities that are desirable, while Option 3 comprises these essential and desirable activities plus those that require institutional and legal changes, possibly following substantial negotiations.

Participants at the meeting classified 40 priority activities in these three options taking account of the impact on the ability of CMS Family to improve the conservation status of the species protected under the Convention.

Greater integration within the CMS Family in relation to the sharing of resources and the capacity to improve outcomes in relation to conservation activities were reviewed. Synergies between the Convention and external organizations such as MEAs, NGOs, Governments and the corporate sector to improve effectiveness of conservation activities were established as another criterion.

The Chairman of Scientific Council Working Group on Global Flyways attended the meeting to make a presentation on the three reviews it had undertaken. These reviews will feed into the Future Shape process, as will the work being done by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society in connection with Resolution 8.22 on Adverse Human Induced Impacts on Cetaceans.

The Intersessional Process Regarding the Future Shape of CMS is based on Resolution 9.13 adopted at COP9 in November 2008. The process was launched accordingly to explore the possibilities of strengthening the contribution of the CMS and the CMS Family to the worldwide conservation, management and sustainable use of migratory species over their entire range. The process was comprised of three phases: the first assessing the current operations of the CMS Family; the second to develop options on the organization and strategic activities that could improve current operations and the third to elaborate three options for the “Future Shape” of the CMS Family to be considered at COP10.

Eleven of the thirteen members of the Working Group including the Chair and Vice Chair of the Standing Committee participated in the meeting. The CMS Family including ACAP, ACCOBAMS, AEWA, ASCOBANS, EUROBATS, the Gorilla Agreement as well as the Bangkok Project Office for the IOSEA Marine Turtle MoU and the Abu Dhabi Project Office were represented.

Text taken from the CMS website http://www.cms.int