Joint Statement

Standing Committee of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Dear Chair,

This statement is delivered on behalf of 44 countries, among which there are 13 Standing Committee Members and Alternative Members, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Georgia, Guatemala, Japan, Republic of Korea, Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, as well as other Contracting Parties: Albania, Andorra, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Uruguay, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America and my own country, Ukraine.

This statement is open for further alignments.

Distinguished Delegates,

We welcome the factual update report from the Secretariat, as requested by the COP, on the implementation of Resolution XIV.20, and invite the Standing Committee to take note of the update. This report demonstrates the ongoing work undertaken by the Secretariat to implement an independent assessment of the impacts of the aggression of the Russian Federation on Ukraine’s Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites) and we encourage the Secretariat to accelerate its efforts for documenting  these impacts on the ground.     

We highly appreciate the efforts of the Secretariat in contributing to the preparation of the Rapid Environmental Assessment of Kakhovka Dam Breach report and The Ukraine Environmental Damage Assessments report, as well as further measures assisting in the evaluation of damage to the Ramsar Sites in Ukraine stemming from the Russian Federation’s war of aggression. The work of the Secretariat demonstrates the ability of the Convention to respond and react to emergency situations impacting wetlands.

We welcome the ongoing actions taken by Contracting Parties and international organizations to support the independent assessment and subsequent advice on the restoration of Ukraine’s wetlands of international importance. We affirm our support to reconstruction in Ukraine, including for providing assistance for the restoration of its wetlands of international importance, as noted in Resolution XIV.20.

We would like to reiterate that Ukraine is home to a number of Ramsar sites, many of which are still facing unprecedented threats due to the Russian Federation’s war of aggression. These internationally important wetlands, and their natural process and biodiversity, have suffered from direct physical damage and pollution. In particular, due to the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, the desiccation of the emptied Kakhovka reservoir has rapidly transformed a mature and fully functioning aquatic ecosystem, existing since the dam’s completion around 70 years ago.

Following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam last year, attacks on Ukrainian hydroelectric power plants (HPPs) have further affected Ukrainian wetlands. Missile attacks on the Dnipro HPP reportedly led to a massive leakage of petroleum products into the Dnipro River. Two Ramsar sites “Archipelago Velyki and Mali Kuchugury” and “Sim Maiakiv Floodplain” were reportedly damaged by the leakage. Additional attacks in March on the Kaniv and the Dnister HPPs are likely to have damaged wetlands, such as the Ramsar site “Liadova-Murafa”, which serve as habitats for internationally important populations of waterbirds. Continuous shelling and explosions have rendered it impossible for certain bird colonies, such as flamingos, to breed and have altered their migratory routes, posing a significant threat to biodiversity.

Reaffirming our commitment to the implementation of the Ramsar Convention, we reiterate our demand for the Russian Federation to cease its aggression, which prevents Ukraine from exercising its obligations under the Ramsar Convention to protect, restore, and wisely use its Ramsar sites, and withdraw its troops from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.

We call upon Contracting Parties and international organizations to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and call for a renewed commitment to the objectives of the Ramsar Convention in safeguarding our shared environmental heritage.