The Federal Republic of Brazil and the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) announced this week that the country will host the Convention’s 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, from Monday 23 to Sunday 29 March 2026.
This is a United Nations wildlife conservation meeting, expected to bring together governments, scientists, conservationists, indigenous peoples and local communities, environmental leaders, and civil society from around the world, to tackle urgent conservation challenges, faced by thousands of species of wild animals that cross international borders.
Brazil is the most biodiverse country in the world.
Countless species of migratory animals rely on habitats in Brazil for their survival, whether for breeding, feeding or as stopover sites on their journeys.
Its natural treasures, including the Amazon rainforest, Atlantic Forest, Cerrado savanna, Pampa grasslands, and the Pantanal, support extraordinary biodiversity, including migratory animals such as the Jaguar, the Mexican Free-Tailed Bat, and the Peregrine Falcon. Furthermore, Brazil is home to a remarkable diversity of migratory species, including sharks, rays, migratory freshwater fish, turtles, numerous families of bird species, bats, as well as small cetaceans, whales and other marine mammals.
Amy Fraenkel, CMS Executive Secretary, “migratory animals connect the planet, crossing conyinents, oceans and skies in incredible journeys each year, but they are facing unprecedented pressures.
CMS COP15 in Campo Grande is an opportunity to strengthen international cooperation and adopt transformative measures, that will secure the future of migratory species and their vital ecosystems.
But according to the State of the World’s Migratory Species report, launched last year at CMS COP14, extinction risk is growing for migratory species globally due to human activity, highlighting the urgency of enhanced global conservation efforts.
The report found that the two greatest threats to migratory species are overexploitation and habitat loss.
Compounding the crisis, climate change, pollution, and invasive species continue to erode vital habitats, and 399 at-risk migratory species are not yet listed under CMS, leaving them without coordinated conservation measures.
Picture: CMS