From 27^th November to 1^st December 2023, FACE was attending the 43rd meeting of the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention.

The Standing Committee consists of contracting parties, observer countries and observer originations representing civil society. It is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the treaty and ensuring that member countries adhere to its principles and recommendations. This year, the Standing Committee adopted the Strategic Plan for the Bern Convention for the period to 2030, a process that FACE has been involved in over the last 3 years of its development.

The most relevant topics for FACE were about the reporting under the Bern Convention, illegal killing of birds, progress on the eradication of the Ruddy Duck and the case file around the development plans which threaten the natural areas of the Akamas peninsula in Cyprus.

During the meeting, FACE submitted the 4^th Implementation Report of the Code of Conduct on Hunting and Invasive Alien Species which was well received by the secretariat of the Bern Convention.

Collaboration with the Bern Convention in 2024:
In 2024, FACE will actively participate in Expert Groups of the Bern Convention such as the Expert Group on Protected Areas and Ecological Networks, the Working Group on Reporting, or the next joint meeting of the Bern Convention Network of Special Focal Points on IKB and the CMS Intergovernmental Task Force on IKB of Migratory Birds (MIKT) in the Mediterranean.