UAE participates in 12th Meeting of the Conference of Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

PUNTA DEL ESTE, URUGUAY, 1st June, 2015 (WAM) -- The United Arab Emirates is participating in the 12th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, COP12, which will be held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, from 1st to 9th June. The UAE will also participate in the 49th meeting of the Standing Committee which will take place on the 1st June, and regional meetings which will take place the next day. The UAE delegation is led by the Director-General of Fujairah Municipality, Mohammed Saif Al Afkham, accompanied by a number of officials. During the country's participation in the conference, preparations will be made to host the upcoming Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention, to be the first Arab country to host an international conference of such a great importance. Commenting on the UAE's participation, Al Afkham stressed the UAE's leading role in the field of wetland protection by identifying Wetlands of International Importance territory and including them on the Ramsar list. He also commended the efforts of the UAE's Ministry of Environment and Water, which culminated over the past few years in the inclusion of five sites in the country on the Ramsar list. – Emirates News Agency, WAM - http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395281262621.html