Workshop IPS/IMCG, May 2001

Grant Agreement nr. WGP1 05 GPI 2b

Agreement holder: Alterra

Country/region: Global

Activity period: 01/04/2002 – 31-12-2002

Objectives and results:

Various sectors are involved in peatlands including forestry , agriculture , conservation bodies, the energy sector and the use of peat as a horticultural substrate. The main objective of the meeting following the Heathrow meeting is to achieve an agreed document on wise use.

Achieved:

Yes. The IPS-IMCG meeting, with facilitation of Alterra and WI, enabled a final agreement on the Wise Use of Peatlands between these two major stakeholders, thus setting the basis for Ramsar’s Guidelines for Global Action on Peatlands (in November 2002 this was adopted at CoP8). The book was also summarised in a Wise Use Statement, which has been widely distributed, a.o. at CoP6 of the CBD.

The project was a major success in achieving what seemed to be impossible for many years. The workshop was facilitated by the WI-DGIS financing at a crucial “make or break” stage of discussions on Wise Use of Peatlands. It followed on from many years of discussions between the IPS and IMCG, and the project helped to conclude these discussions in a very constructive way, thus setting the basis for major policy development(e.g. development of the Ramsar Guidelines for Global Action on Peatlands) at the global level. This also constituted a major part of the groundwork for establishing the successful and innovative partnership, the GPI, involving representatives of both private sector, conservation and science sectors.