INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS
The Ramsar Convention
'Ramsar sites' are wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, to which the UK Government is a signatory. The Convention was established in Ramsar, Iran in 1971.Ramsar sites in Sussex are:
- Arun Valley
- Chichester and Langstone Harbours
- Pagham Harbour
- Pevensey Levels
Click here for official Ramsar website
The Bern Convention
The Bern Convention is a binding international legal instrument in the field of nature conservation, which covers the whole of the natural heritage of the European continent and extends to some States of Africa. Its aims are to conserve wild flora and fauna and their natural habitats and to promote European co-operation in that field. The UK is a signatory to the Convention. It was established at Bern, Switzerland in 1979.Click here for further information on the The Bern Convention
The Convention on Biological Diversity
The UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP) was published in January 1994 in response to Article 6 of the Biodiversity Convention, to which the UK became a signatory in 1992. The Convention was established in Rio de Janeiro in that year. The Biodiversity Convention requires national governments to develop national strategies for the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of biological resourcesIn the United Kingdom, local partnerships have also produced local biodiversity action plans (LBAP). The plans at county level in sussex can be found at
Sussex Biodiversity Partnership