Following the first Mayors’ Roundtable in 2019 in Suncheon City, Republic of Korea, the Ramsar Regional Center – East Asia (RRC-EA) and Amiens City Government organized the 2nd Roundtable of Wetland City Mayors that was held on 8-10 June 2023 in Amiens, France and welcomed more than 130 representatives from Wetland Cities, local communities, academic and research institutions, and government and non-government organizations. Mayors, vice mayors and officials of 22 Wetland Cities from nine countries participated in the event.
The roundtable of Wetland City Mayors allows members of the Wetland City Network to meet on an annual basis. The meeting serves as a platform for Wetland Cities to:
- establish and strengthen communication channels among Wetland Cities;
- share and exchange information about experiences in managing urban wetlands with respect to local policies and regulations;
- facilitate dialogues to promote and develop socio-economic and environmental cooperation among Wetland Cities;
- invite and welcome new Wetland Cities to the Wetland City Network;
- introduce the Wetland City Accreditation scheme to potential Wetland Cities; and
- involve International Organization Partners (IOPs) of the Convention on Wetlands and other wetland stakeholders in activities of the Wetland City Network.
The first day of the meeting began with an opening message from the Mayor of Amiens City, followed by messages from representatives of the Ramsar Regional Center – East Asia/Wetland City Network Secretariat, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Secretariat, Suncheon City in the Republic of Korea, Departmental Council of the Somme in France, and the French State.
Keynote and plenary presentations from Wetland Cities and relevant wetland agencies allowed participants of the meeting to learn from specific experiences on wetland conservation. Keynote speakers from Amiens City and the Departmental Council of the Somme imparted wetland management approaches being carried out at the city and provincial levels. Members of the Independent Advisory Committee of the Wetland City Accreditation scheme and a wetland expert conveyed their insights on the implementation of the accreditation scheme after two trienniums.
Two parallel sessions in the afternoon provided mayors and representatives of 16 Wetland Cities with an opportunity to showcase local initiatives on urban and peri-urban wetland conservation and wise use. These Wetland Cities include Canada, China, France, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Republic of Korea, and Tunisia. After presentations, session moderators facilitated a panel discussion which enriched the interaction among the participants.
The second day started with a special presentation by Amiens Energies, followed by plenary presentations from international organizations such as the WWF, WWT, UNEP, ICLEI – Africa Secretariat, UNESCO. In the afternoon, mayors and representatives of Wetland Cities formally convened to discuss the operations of the Wetland City Network. The meeting deliberated on agenda items that include new chairmanship and membership, accomplishments and Terms of Reference of the Wetland City Network, and draft Wetland City Network Strategic Plan. Other matters focused on Ramsar Resolution XIV.11 on wetland education in the formal education sector, the Wetland School Network in China and Korea, and the Youth Forum Initiative proposed by Jeju City in the Republic of Korea. The meeting agreed that Tata, Hungary will host the fourth Roundtable of Wetland City Mayors in 2025.
During the closing program, the mayor of Amiens City handed over tokens to the heads of delegation of participating Wetland Cities as a gesture of appreciation. After the ceremony, the vice mayor of Dongying City formally invited all meeting attendees to participate in the third Mayors’ Roundtable that is scheduled to take place in 2024 in Dongying, China. The vice mayor of Amiens City then delivered the closing remarks to officially conclude the event.
On the third and last day of the meeting, the participants joined a field trip to Baie de Somme Ramsar Site, the largest natural estuary in northern France.
