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Background

The World Coastal Forum (WCF) is an international, multi-stakeholder platform to catalyse, facilitate and upscale local and national coastal ecosystem conservation efforts, established in 2022 in response to calls from Resolutions of the Conventions on Migratory Species, Wetlands and Biodiversity and IUCN. The EAAFP and a number of its Partners are Partners of the WCF.

The World Coastal Forum contributes directly to at least two Partnership objectives and KRAs:
• Partnership Objective 2 – Enhance communication, education, participation and awareness (CEPA) of the values of migratory waterbirds and their habitats.
KRA 2.1 The achievement of the elements in the EAAFP CEPA Action Plan (2019-2024).
• Partnership Objective 5. Develop, especially for priority species and habitats, flyway wide approaches to enhance the conservation status of migratory waterbirds.
KRA 5.6 The conservation of migratory waterbirds and their habitats is integrated into relevant multilateral and bilateral agreements and other regional mechanisms.

Five WCF Partner organisations (BirdLife International, EcoFoundation Global, Mangrove Conservation Foundation, Pukorokoro Miranda Naturalists Trust, Wetlands International) are among the seven EAAFP Partner co-proponents of Draft Decision 17: The EAAFP Initiative on Tidal Flats and Ecologically-associated Working Coastal Wetlands (“EAAFP Tidal Flats Initiative – TFI”).

Objectives

1. Increased awareness of WCF and how it, and its knowledge products, can be useful to EAAFP Partners and opportunities for collaboration.
2. Advance discussion on developing the EAAFP Tidal Fiat Initiative proposed in Draft Decision 17 to be of maximum value in achieving EAAFP objectives including those of its Working Groups, Task Forces and Flyway Site Network.

Expected Outcomes

Sharing of ideas on the prompt and effective establishment and rollout/implementation of the proposed EAAFP Tidal Flat Initiative.

Tentative Programme