Qatar Chairs 21st Meeting of GCC Standing Committee of Conservation of Wildlife and Natural Habitats
Qatar chaired the 21st meeting of the Permanent Committee for the Convention on the Conservation of Wildlife and Their Habitats in the GCC Countries, represented by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. The meeting, which took place over two days on August 24 and 25, 2024, was led by Mr. Mohammed Ahmed Al-Khanji, Director of the Wildlife Development Department at Qatar’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. The General Secretariat of the GCC was represented by the Sector of Human and Environmental Affairs – Environmental Management, and the meeting included all representatives of the GCC member states, in addition to Mr. Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al-Rubai, Head of the Sector of Human and Environmental Affairs at the GCC General Secretariat.
During the meeting, several topics related to wildlife and its development among the GCC countries were discussed. These included: the Supreme Council’s decision during its 40th session regarding the adoption of environmental directions and the update of the Convention on the Conservation of Wildlife and Their Habitats in the GCC countries, the framework of the Supreme Council’s decision on non-tariff barriers in the field of living organisms, and the updated draft of the Convention on the Conservation of Wildlife and Their Habitats.
The meeting also covered the strategic plan of the Ministerial Committee for Environmental Affairs, as well as the participation of GCC countries in the celebration of Wildlife Day for 2024, which includes organizing several workshops and conducting training programs in the field of wildlife.
The representatives of the GCC member states concluded the meeting with a set of recommendations, which will be presented at the next meeting of the Committee of Deputies responsible for Environmental Affairs in the GCC countries, in preparation for submission to the Ministerial Committee for Environmental Affairs in their upcoming meeting.
