Looking back at Ramsar COP15

The Convention on Wetlands, or Ramsar Convention, is a multilateral environmental agreement (MEA) that focuses on “the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world”. Among the various meetings convened by the Convention Secretariat, the most significant are sessions of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention, which are held once every three years. The 15th session of the Ramsar COP (COP15) was held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, from 23–31 July 2025. 

The “Victoria Falls Declaration” was released during the high-level ministerial segment of COP15, with ambitious commitments on resource mobilization and cross-sectoral integration, and urgent calls for action. Budget is almost always a key topic for discussion at such meetings, and COP15 saw a 4.1% budget increase for the Convention’s core operations through 2028. This may indicate a financial commitment to implementation of a new strategic plan for the Convention. A new Waterbird Estimates Partnership was also presented, aiming to provide more timely migratory bird data; and there was a focus on wetland restoration, especially in degraded freshwater systems. Perhaps the most significant topics discussed were the new strategic plan; a resolution introduced by Ukraine; the Russian Federation’s announcement to withdraw from the Convention; and a list of objections by the USA. These are discussed here in more detail.