Land productivity and related ecosystems services are maintained or enhanced.

Communities’ resilience to drought is increased.

End poverty in all its forms everywhere.

By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development

By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters.

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Conservation, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity in the Carpathians is enhanced, by harmonized and coordinated efforts and cooperation on conservation, maintenance and sustainable use of natural and semi-natural habitats and securing habitat continuity and connectivity; restoration of degraded habitats; conservation and sustainable use of species of flora and fauna characteristic to the Carpathians, especially endangered or endemic species and large carnivores; and conservation and restoration of wetlands and fresh water ecosystems. (Source: Main reference document: Carpathian Convention Biodiversity Protocol Article 1 on General objective and principles)

The Carpathian forests are sustainably managed and protected by, inter alia, improving the health and vitality of the forests; improving the conservation and sustainable use of forest biodiversity; identifying and protecting natural, especially virgin forests; promoting the restoration of close-to-nature forests; and enhancing the role of the forest-based sector in mitigating climate change. (Source: Main reference document: Carpathian Convention Sustainable Forest Management Protocol, Article 1 on General objective and principles)

The agriculture sector in the Carpathians, including traditionally cultivated land, is maintained and developed sustainably. Traditional knowledge and sustainable agriculture practices are maintained, enabling rural communities to flourish while preserving the natural resources and cultural heritage of the Carpathians. (Source: Main reference document: Carpathian Convention Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Protocol, Article 1 on General objective and principles)

Awareness about the objectives and main sustainable development aspects of the Carpathian Convention is strengthened among the general public in the Carpathians. Lifelong learning and global education approaches are integrated into the Carpathian Convention activities and cross-sectoral cooperation and synergies across projects are enhanced, bridging together local and regional actors and strengthening partnerships towards sustainable development of the Carpathians. (Source: Main reference document: Carpathian Convention COP6 Decisions (Decisions/COP6/9), Carpathian Convention Implementation Committee recommendation from 2022, and the Carpathian Convention Art. 13 on Awareness raising, education and public participation, http://www.carpathianconvention.org/tl_files/carpathiancon/Downloads/01%20The%20Convention/CC%20COP6%20DOC3_COP6%20DECISIONS_%20FINAL%20ADOPTED%202020.pdf and http://www.carpathianconvention.org/tl_files/carpathiancon/Downloads/03%20Meetings%20and%20Events/Implementation%20Committee/CCIC%202022/Meeting%20documents/2312%20CCIC%20recommendations%202022%20FINAL%20clean.pdf)

Wetland functions, services and benefits are widely demonstrated, documented and disseminated.

Restoration is in progress in degraded wetlands, with priority to wetlands that are relevant for biodiversity conservation, disaster risk reduction, livelihoods and/or climate change mitigation and adaptation.

WHEREAS the first objective of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling is “the interest of the nations of the world in safeguarding for future generations the great natural resources represented by the whale stocks”; MINDFUL that, given the depleted status of great whale populations at the inception of the IWC, and that during the last 25 years, the International Whaling Commission has devoted a overwhelming part of its work to the pursuit of that conservation objective; NOTING that, through the adoption of more than a hundred conservation-oriented resolutions(1), as well as through various Schedule amendments, the Commission has evolved into an organization internationally recognized, among other things, for its meaningful contributions to the conservation of great whales; furthering that conservation work through those Resolutions and Schedule amendments, the Commission has gradually developed an extensive conservation-oriented agenda(2); NOTING that since the Convention came into force in 1948 several key conventions have been adopted which may affect great whales, including, inter alia, UNLOS, CITES, IOC, ICSU, the CBD, CMS, ACCOBAMS and ASCOBANS; RECOGNIZING the various challenges referred to in previous Resolutions and Schedule Amendments, it is prudent for the Commission to effectively organize its future work in the pursuit of its objective by devising an appropriate agenda that places special emphasis on its benefits to conservation. NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION: WELCOMES initiatives to assess the achievements and orientation of the cumulative work of the Commission in the pursuit of its conservation objective; ENDORSES the proposals made by various Contracting Governments to organize, on the basis of that assessment, the future Conservation Agenda of the Commission and to cooperate in its preparation; DECIDES to establish a Conservation Committee of the Commission, composed of all Contracting Parties, in conformity with Article III paragraph 4 of the Convention; DECIDES to entrust the Conservation Committee with: (1) The preparation and recommendation to the Commission of its future Conservation Agenda, taking full account of this Resolution; (2) The implementation of those items in the Agenda that the Commission may refer to it and (3) Making recommendations to the Commission in order to maintain and update the Conservation Agenda on a continuing basis. INSTRUCTS the Conservation Committee to meet before the Commission’s Annual Meeting in 2004, in order to organize its work, so that the Conservation Agenda can be considered for adoption by the Commission at that Annual Meeting. DIRECTS the Conservation Committee to explore how the Commission can coordinate its conservation agenda through greater collaboration with a wider range of other organizations and conventions including inter alia CMS, CCAMLR, IMO, IUCN, and UNEP. REQUESTS the Scientific Committee to advise the Conservation Committee in the performance of the tasks entrusted to it in this Resolution, and to ensure that the appropriate scientific research items, including inter alia, whalewatching, environmental issues and behavioural research, under the responsibility of the Scientific Committee, are incorporated in the Conservation Agenda.2 REQUESTS the Conservation Committee to begin exploring the possible establishment, by the Commission, of an appropriate trust fund (including the identification of potential contributors), to make available the necessary financial resources to the Commission and, particularly, to the Contracting Governments committed to implementing specific items of the Conservation Agenda related to conservation-oriented research. To that end, the Committee shall give priority to the question of securing assistance for scientific research and capacity building for scientists and institutions from developing countries, and shall take advantage from the experiences obtained in other international environmental and conservation conventions and treaties, in the establishment of similarly-oriented international funds. DIRECTS the Secretariat to prepare a report, to be considered by the Commission at its next annual meeting, on the implementation of Resolution 1998-6 regarding the establishment of a dedicated “Environment Research Fund” to facilitate research on environmental change and cetaceans, as well as on the results of the appeal it made in its Resolution 1999-5 “to the Contracting Governments, other governments, international organizations and other bodies to contribute financially an in kind” to research programs, and to include in that report a recommendation to the Commission, as to how that Fund could best be considered in the light of the possible establishment of the trust fund referred to in the previous paragraph Read more https://archive.iwc.int/?r=2078

Resolution 2001-11 Resolution on the Importance of Habitat Protection and Integrated Coastal Zone Management WHEREAS the destruction of coastal habitat may have a detrimental impact upon cetaceans; RECALLING that the negative effects of habitat destruction upon cetaceans have been repeatedly recognised by the IWC since 1980, as have the positive actions of a number of Signatories to confront habitat destruction and protect various cetacean species, NOTING that Article 193 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea stipulates that “States have the sovereign right to exploit their natural resources pursuant to their environmental policies and in accordance with their duty to protect and preserve the marine environment.” MINDFUL that the International Whaling Commission with its specific responsibility in the management and conservation of whale stocks may have a mutual interest in supporting the ratification of international treaties with overlapping concerns, NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION Commends Contracting Governments to the International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling to pursue the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on Wetlands, especially Waterfowl Habitats of International Importance (RAMSAR), and the Coral Reefs Initiative, to better achieve coastal habitat protection and integrated coastal zone management as advocated in the implementation decisions of these and similar agreements and initiatives.

ACKNOWLEDGING that cetaceans make significant contributions to ecosystem functioning that are beneficial for the natural environment and people; RECOGNISING the need to integrate the values of biodiversity and the contributions made by cetaceans to ecosystem functioning into decision-making processes related to the conservation and management of cetacean populations; FURTHER RECOGNISING the ever increasing understanding of the value of cetaceans from a social, economic and ecological perspective; ALSO FURTHER RECOGNISING that the Commission has identified the importance of research on the effects of environmental changes on cetaceans due to increasing threats faced by cetaceans, including climate change, pollution, ship strikes, and entanglement among others; AWARE that increasing scientific evidence suggests that whales enhance ecosystem productivity by concentrating nitrogen and iron near the surface through the release of faecal plumes, in some cases equivalent to that required to support localised prey consumption, such as has been reported for blue whales, sperm whales and humpback whales among others; CONSIDERING that, because of their large size, live whales represent an important store of carbon while their carcasses efficiently export carbon from the surface waters to the deep sea. These carcasses also serve as important feeding opportunities for a variety of deep sea species, many of which are exclusively found on such "whale falls", thus creating small but significant ecosystems on their own and contributing to biodiversity in great depths; ALSO CONSIDERING that iron defecated by whales may contribute to the stimulation of carbon export into the Southern Ocean and thus whales may play a role in regulating atmospheric CO2 levels; RECALLING Resolution 2001-9, which acknowledged that better understanding of marine ecosystems would contribute to the conservation and management of living marine resources, and prioritised the study of interactions between whales and fish stocks; and NOTING the wide collaboration of the IWC with other international governmental conventions and organisations. NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION:   ACKNOWLEDGES increasing scientific data suggesting that whales enhance nutrient availability for primary production; RECOGNISES the need to include consideration of the contributions made by live cetaceans and carcasses present in the ocean to marine ecosystem functioning in conservation, management strategies and decision making; ENCOURAGES Contracting Governments to work constructively towards integrating considerations related to the role played by live cetaceans in regulating and supporting ecosystem functioning, in future decisions, agreements and resolutions; RESOLVES to review the ecological, management, environmental, social and economical aspects related to the contributions of cetaceans to ecosystem functioning to people and natural systems, as a matter of importance; DIRECTS the Conservation Committee to undertake the review previously identified and directs the Conservation and Scientific Committees to further incorporate the contribution made by live cetaceans to ecosystem functioning into their work;   ASKS the Scientific Committee to screen the existing research studies on the contribution of cetaceans to ecosystem functioning, to develop a gap analysis regarding research and to develop a plan for remaining research needs; and DECIDES to increase collaboration and co-operation with governmental and non-governmental, regional, and international organisations to work on the contributions made by live cetaceans to ecosystem functioning issues, including the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, among others.

Whereas the International Whaling Commission has been widely recognised as the main international body directly charged with the conservation of cetaceans and the management of whaling; Recognising that the evolution of whale research methods, management alternatives and the sustainable use of whale resources, as well as that of international law since the adoption of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) in 1946 has led the role of the Commission to evolve through the adoption of more than a hundred conservation-oriented resolutions, as well as through various Schedule amendments to include, inter alia, the management of non-lethal appropriation of whale resources, as well as the maintenance of healthy cetacean populations to fulfill the vital ecological and carbon cycling roles these animals play in the global marine ecosystem functioning; Acknowledging that there are diverging views among Member States of the Commission regarding how the IWC´s mandate should be adequately implemented, in a manner that would satisfy the broadest interest of all humankind in the conservation of cetaceans and their habitats, while recognizing the importance of accommodating the needs of indigenous people who are dependent upon whales for subsistence and cultural purposes; Recalling Resolution 2007-3 on the non-lethal use of cetaceans and further acknowledging that cetaceans make significant contributions to ecosystem functioning and are beneficial for the natural environment and people, and that the sustainable, non-lethal and non-extractive use of whales is a rapidly growing activity deserving of recognition that provides significant socio-economic benefits for coastal communities around the world, particularly in developing countries; Reaffirming that the moratorium on commercial whaling, which has been in effect since 1986, has contributed to the recovery of some cetacean populations, and AWARE of the cumulative effects of multiple, existing and emerging threats to cetacean populations such as entanglement, bycatch, underwater noise, ship strikes, marine debris and climate change; Noting that Whale Sanctuaries have been repeatedly proposed by member States under Article V of the ICRW with the support of a majority of the Contracting governments in areas where non-lethal activities have provided relevant scientific results, jobs and income for coastal communities, Further noting Resolution 2018-1 on the Response to the Independence Review of the International Whaling Commission; Now, therefore the Commission: Agrees that the role of the International Whaling Commission in the 21st Century includes inter alia its responsibility to ensure the recovery of cetacean populations to their pre-industrial levels, and in this context reaffirms the importance in maintaining the moratorium on commercial whaling; Acknowledges the existence of an abundance of contemporary non-lethal cetacean research methods and therefore agrees that the use of lethal research methods is unnecessary; Seeks to ensure that aboriginal subsistence whaling for the benefit of indigenous communities should meet the Commission's management and conservation objectives, taking into account the safety of hunters and the welfare of cetaceans; Instructs the Commission’s relevant subsidiary bodies to take into account the need to adequately fund conservation and non-lethal management issues when implementing the plan to be developed by the Working Group on Operational Effectiveness according to Resolution 2018-1;  

Recalling the IWC’s acknowledgement in Resolution 2016-3 of the biological contributions made by cetaceans to ecosystem functioning and their associated economic and social values; Recalling also the IWC’s recognition of the need to integrate the contribution made by live cetaceans and carcasses present in the ocean to marine ecosystem functioning into the decision-making processes of the IWC and other fora; Recalling further the IWC’s decision to increase collaboration and cooperation with other intergovernmental organizations to advance this work; Noting the Scientific Committee recommendation and plan to conduct an expert workshop to, among other outcomes, review the current state of knowledge on the ecosystem functioning provided by cetaceans and develop a prioritized list of recommendations for scientific research to fill identified knowledge gaps, as requested from the Scientific Committee in Resolution 2016-3; Noting also that the Conservation Committee has established a Working Group on Cetaceans and their role in Ecosystem Functioning in order to make recommendations on how the Committee could address Resolution 2016-3, including how to review the ecological, management, environmental, social and economic aspects of the contributions of cetaceans; Aware that the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) adopted a Resolution on the Conservation and Management of Whales and their Habitats in the South Atlantic Region (UNEP/CMS/COP12/Doc.24.2.6) which requests the CMS Secretariat and the CMS Scientific Council to work with the Scientific and Conservation Committees of the International Whaling Commission to increase understanding of cetaceans' contribution to the functioning of marine ecosystems, including co-hosting a workshop to review the existing data and research and identify opportunities to expand this work. Now, therefore the Commission: Commends the Scientific and Conservation Committee for their efforts to increase understanding of the contribution of cetaceans to ecosystem functioning, and encourages them to collaborate whenever possible with CMS and other international organisations, including to identify additional opportunities to jointly advance this work; Encourages the Scientific and Conservation Committees to seek synergies and advance co-operation and co-ordination regarding their complementary work streams on this issue; Encourages Contracting Governments to integrate the value of cetaceans’ ecological roles into local, regional and global organisations on biodiversity and environment, including climate change and conservation policies; Requests the Secretariat to convey this resolution to the CMS Secretariat as well as other relevant fora.