The Contracting Parties apply the Ramsar Convention in their territories and collaborate in shared projects. The governmental body in charge of its national application is known as the country’s Administrative Authority. This body appoints a National Coordinator to coordinate the national application that acts as a daily point of contact.
Every three years the Parties meet at the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP), where they take decisions to administer the Convention and guide its implementation.
Between COPs and COPs, the Parties are represented by the Standing Committee, which meets once a year. The Standing Committee is guided by the framework of the decisions adopted by the COP.
Two advisory bodies develop technical guidance to assist the Standing Committee and the COP in formulating policies, namely the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) and the Monitoring Group on Communication, Education, Awareness and Participation activities (CECoP).
All of them have the support of the Secretariat of the Convention and its varied range of partners, including the International Organization Partners (OIA), entities to which the Parties have formally recognized as official partners of the Convention.
The scope and goals of the work of the Convention are coordinated through a Strategic Plan and related work plans, which establish priority objectives and the measures foreseen or requested for the different bodies of the Convention.
