We proudly attended the 15th Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands (COP15). This year, COP15 was held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, from 23 to 31 July 2025.
COP15 is the Convention on Wetlands' main decision-making forum. Every 3 years, member countries gather to agree on global priorities for protecting and managing earth's wetlands.
The theme for COP15 is Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future. It focuses on 2 key ideas: unity and our shared future. The theme also featured in this year's World Wetlands Day.
Australia has 67 wetlands listed under the convention. These sites cover more than 8.3 million hectares. They span from Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory to the Macquarie Marshes in New South Wales.
Australia helped create the convention in 1971. Since then, we have worked with global partners to conserve and use wetlands wisely.
Since COP14 in 2022, Australia has:
- worked with states and territories to improve information and management at Ramsar-listed sites
- supported First Nations-led water planning, including through the Aboriginal water entitlements program
- made progress on a new National Water Agreement with a focus on wetlands and First Nations influence in water policy
- invested in wetland research programs like Flow-MER and the National Environmental Science Program
- funded youth engagement initiatives in Oceania such as the Pacific Youth Wetlands Coordinator.
This year, our delegation of staff and experts brought these collective experiences and achievements to COP15.
We joined our Pacific Partners in a youth side event, attended by the Convention's Secretary General Dr Musonda Mumba.
Check out our coverage from the week and meet some of our inspiring delegates to learn more about their (and our) shared mission of global wetland conservation and wise use.
