The Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), also called the Bonn Convention, was signed in 1979 due to growing concerns about the effects of an increasingly connected world on migratory species. These species often travel across international borders as they hunt, mate, and stay warm. If any countries along the way fail to protect them, it can threaten species’ survival. CMS coordinates the creation of agreements and treaties to protect individual species and ecosystems. Past treaties have helped protect animals like flamingos, gorillas, sea turtles, and whales. CMS focuses on preserving the habitats these species need, such as wetlands for flamingos in the Andes and the Sahara Desert for migrating birds. The organization encourages countries in migratory ranges to meet animal needs by providing technical advice, scientific evidence, and implementation support. Delegates will need to find new ways to protect animals and their habitats in a world of growing global demands.

The snowy owl, an iconic predator of the Arctic, is facing an accelerating population decline, requiring urgent international conservation action. In March 2026, at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS COP15) in Campo Grande, Brazil, parties approved the listing of the snowy owl on Appendix II of the Convention, determining the need for coordinated international cooperation to safeguard the species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) uplisted the snowy owl to “vulnerable” in 2017. A 2025 global assessment estimates the current population to be between 14,000 and 28,000 breeding adults. Populations in five long-term monitoring sites in the Arctic have decreased by 30 percent over the past three generations. Climate change is the primary driver of the decline. Arctic warming is occurring at more than twice the global average, which disrupts lemming population cycles, the snowy owl’s main food source. Shrinking tundra habitat further limits nesting and hunting opportunities. Along migration routes, owls experience vehicle and building collisions, poisoning, electrocution, and highly pathogenic avian influenza. Given that snowy owls breed in the Arctic and winter across Canada, the northern US, and parts of Eurasia, no single country can protect the population alone. The CMS Appendix II listing creates a framework for range states to coordinate action plans, share data, and align conservation efforts across borders.

The cheetah is racing towards extinction. At CMS COP15, enhanced international protections were approved for cheetah populations. The global wild population is approximately 7,100, which is just 9 percent of their historical range. With numbers declining an estimated 37 percent over the past 15 years. Only 2 of 33 remaining populations exceed 1,000 mature individuals, leaving the species exposed to isolation and local extinction. Threats to cheetahs are increasing. Agricultural expansion and infrastructure development have pushed 76 percent of suitable habitat in Southern Africa outside protected areas. Retaliatory killing by livestock farmers remains a leading cause of mortality. The illegal wildlife trade has reached crisis levels, with up to 300 cubs stolen annually from the Horn of Africa alone, where fewer than 500 wild cheetahs survive, to supply exotic pet demand in the Middle East. Given that cheetah populations span multiple national borders, international coordination is essential. The international community must strengthen anti-trafficking enforcement, expand community-based conflict mitigation, and restore habitat connectivity across range states.