Bonn,
6 November 2012 - The UNEP/AEWA Secretariat is pleased
to announce the accession of the Kingdom of Swaziland
to the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian
Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).

With the submission of the instrument of accession to
the Depositary, the Agreement will enter into force for
Swaziland on 1 January 2013, which will raise the number
of AEWA Contracting Parties to 69. Earlier this year,
the Republic of Zimbabwe joined AEWA, and Gabon as well
as the Kingdom of Morocco will accede to the Agreement
on 1 December 2012.

Located in South East Africa, Swaziland, though one of
the continent’s smallest countries, is endowed with
a remarkable variety of habitats, translating into a significant
variety of flora and fauna. Apart from its eastern border,
shared with Mozambique, Swaziland is completely surrounded
by South Africa. Its western half is mountainous, descending
to an open rural space to the east covered in grass or
low scrub, while the border to the east is dominated by
the escarpment of the Lebombo Mountains.

As a result of the altitudinal range and consequent habitat
variability the country has high levels of biodiversity.
According to BirdLife
Data Zone, Swaziland’s avifauna consists
of a total of 465 different bird species. Out of these,
64
migratory waterbird species are listed under AEWA,
including the Vulnerable Wattled Crane (Bugeranus
carunculatus) and the Endangered Grey-Crowned Crane
(Balearica regolorum). Swaziland is clearly of
great importance for migratory waterbirds using the East
Atlantic and Black Sea/Mediterranean Flyways and concerted
action towards the conservation of these species is therefore
essential.

In addition to AEWA, Swaziland is a Party to a number
of other environmental treaties such as the Convention
on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention
to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (CITES).

The UNEP/AEWA Secretariat warmly welcomes Swaziland and
is looking forward to closely working with the responsible
national authorities and other stakeholders in Swaziland
to support implementation of the Agreement in the country.