By
Chelsea Kopp
Part
One
Today
Non-State actors are playing a growing role in international environmental
politics. International law is traditionally viewed as
an agreement
solely between states but that is no longer true. Non-State
actors
demand a seat at the table of making and implementing law. Non-
State
actors are growing in popularity because national boarders are becoming
increasingly irrelevant with globalization.(1)
Non-State actors help
represent smaller countries like those in the global South and they
conduct research and do studies on environmental impacts.(2)
Non-State actors divide into three groups. The first group is the
national organizations with the ability to act globally.(3) Next are
organizations who are solely devoted to international issues. Last
are the organizations that function as a global network. Almost all
of these organizations were founded in the US but now they have either
spread or are being replicated all over the world.(4) These are
organizations that often have a lot of monetary or political backing and
that lobby intense positions on international law and policy.
The advancement of technology and mass communication is enabling even
small, less funded
Non-State actors to be involved in international
environmental law. Travel is becoming increasingly inexpensive and
the internet, mobile phones, fax machines
and so on make it so people can
communicate and exchange information almost
instantly.(5)
Non-State actors are often in the background, providing analytic support for
governments and
policy makers but
more and more they are becoming central players in international environmental
matters.(6) Non-State
actors have begun to have direct participation in international negotiations and
have functioned as part of official delegations. This is beneficial to
both governments and the Non-State actors. Governments can use the
expertise and knowledge that the Non-State actor brings to the table, while the
Non-State actor gets to have more direct input and access to the front line of
policy making.(7)
Part
Two
BirdLife
International is an NGO that has close ties with the Bonn Convention on
the Conservation of Migratory Species. Appendix I of the Bonn
Convention lists endangered migratory species while Appendix II lists the
migratory species that are subject to agreement. Many of the animals
listed in these Appendixes and that the Bonn Convention is trying to
protect are birds. 
Many of the same birds are also being studied and
protected by the BirdLife International. In other words, the Bonn
Convention and BirdLife International share some very similar goals when
it comes to protecting endangered migrating birds. BirdLife International is present in a 103 countries and territories
worldwide.(8)
BirdLife International is a partnership of NGOs who share a focus on
birds and who exchange research, data, and achievements globally.
Each NGO is a partner who represents a different geographic territory or
country.
Every
four years the partners hold a global Partnership meeting to adopt strategies,
programs and policies and elect a global Council and regional committees. The
Council
appoints a Chief Executive Officer to head a decentralized international Secretariat
that co-ordinates and supports the Partnership to achieve BirdLife
International’s aims and objectives. Partners are grouped within geographic
regions for the purposes of planning and implementing regional programs, and may choose
to
elect regional committees
to support staff and Partners in delivering regional programs.(9)
BirdLife
International feels that birds are indicators of biodiversity and the health of
the environment. Birds are important for their economic, ethical, cultural
and spiritual contributions to our planet.(10) Some birds that were once
considered a common species in their area now being classified as
endangered. Birds are dying out due to loss of habitat pollution, and a
lot avoidable human carelessness. BirdLife International identifies "key habitats" or
important bird areas where small areas of land are home to a large concentration
of birds. BirdLife International gathers information and data on these sites and the
birds that live there. They then work globally, distributing their research
and assisting international legal mechanisms, like The Bonn Convention, in
making informed decisions and law for conservation.(11)
Part
Three
BirdLife International has directly been in contact and cooperation with the Bonn
Convention. They share an interest in many of the same bird species
like the
Ruddy Headed Goose, Houbara Bustard, Slender-billed Curlew,
Siberian Crane, Aquatic Warbler, Ferruginous Duck, White-headed Duck,
White-winged Flufftail, and Blue Swallow. John O'Sullivan is from BirdLife
International and has also provided research and reviews of the
progress of the Bonn Convention in protecting the above mentioned
species.(12)
BirdLife International monitors the effectiveness of the
Agreements made by the Bonn Convention, and others like it, and make suggestions
for amendments
and new resolutions where necessary. The Bonn Convention
cites
BirdLife International multiple times in its Convention of the Parties as
a source of research and information. Namely in the 7th Meeting on
the Convention of the Parties which took place on September 18-24, 2002 in
Bonn Germany, the writings of which can be found at: http://iisd.ca/linkages/cms/cop7/thur199.html.
BirdLife is actively
involved in the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds which is an Agreement
through the Bonn Convention that aims to integrate the protection of
ducks, geese and shorebirds migrating along the flyway between northern Russia
and southern Africa. BirdLife
International also co-ordinates the Species Working Group of
government representatives, scientists and NGOs who are working to improve
the status of Europe's most endangered bird, the Slender-billed Curlew.(13)
BirdLife International is specifically referred to by The Bonn Convention in
respect to the conservation of the Great Bustard.
The
Memora
ndum
of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of the
Middle-European Population of the
Great Bustard
(Otis tarda). In this memorandum The Bonn convention says: "NOTING
the Action Plan for the Great Bustard developed by BirdLife International
approved by the ORNIS Committee of the Commission of the European Union and
Recommendation of 26 January 1996 of the Standing Committee of the Convention on
the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats which recommends to
the respective Parties and Non-Party Range States to that convention to consider
carrying out, or, if appropriate, reinforcing national Action Plans for the
conservation of the Great Bustard."(14) It also goes on and says that
"the
MoU was also signed by three co-operating organizations - BirdLife
International, IUCN - the World Conservation Union, and the International
Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC)."(15)
Part
Four
ENDNOTES
(1)
Hunter, David et al, International Environmental Law and Policy
(Foundation Press, 2002)
(2) Hunter, David et al, International Environmental Law and Policy
(Foundation Press, 2002) at 256
(3) Hunter, David et al, International Environmental Law and Policy
(Foundation Press, 2002)
(4) Hunter, David et al, International Environmental Law and Policy
(Foundation Press, 2002)
(5) Hunter, David et al, International Environmental Law and Policy
(Foundation Press, 2002)
(6) Hunter, David et al, International Environmental Law and Policy
(Foundation Press, 2002) at 258
(7)Hunter, David et al, International Environmental Law and Policy
(Foundation Press, 2002) at 259
(8) 'Partners of Wetlands International,' Wetlands International
(September, 2002), available at http://www.wetlands.org/networks/partners.htm
(9) 'Global Overview of BirdLife Network (2001), available at http://www.birdlife.net/network/index.cfm
(10)'How We Work,'
BirdLife International (2001), available at http://www.birdlife.net/work/index.cfm
(11)How We Work,' BirdLife International (2001), available at http://www.birdlife.net/work/index.cfm
(12) 'The 7th Meeting on the Convention of the Parties to the Convention on
Migratory Species,' LINKAGES (September, 2002) available at http://iisd.ca/linkages/cms/cop7/thur199.html
(13) 'International Legal Mechanisms,' BirdLife International, (2001)
available at http://www.birdlife.net/work/legal.cfm
(14) 'Memorandum
of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of the Middle-European
Population of the Great Bustard,' The Bonn Convention (December, 2001) available
at http://www.wcmc.org.uk/cms/pdf/en/GreatBustard_MoU.pdf
(15) 'Memorandum
of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of the Middle-European
Population of the Great Bustard,' The Bonn Convention (December, 2001) available
at http://www.wcmc.org.uk/cms/
http://www.birdlife.net/
