African/Eurasian Waterbird Agreement

Encompassing Africa, Europe, Middle East, Central Asia, Greenland and even parts of Canada, the Africa-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) legally binds countries to taking care of migratory waterbirds. Proposed in 1972 under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species, the United Nations saw a need for countries to join forces and conserve the animals migrating between countries.Officially established in 1988, the AEWA is managed by the United Nations Environmental Programme. Thus far, the agreement protects 255 species of waterbirds and includes ducks, geese and swans across 119 range states. The agreement encompasses the species as well as the habitat they live in within the regions.
This agreement is composed of three main bodies:

1. Meeting of the Parties (governing body of AEWA)
2. Standing Committee 
3. Technical Committee (the committees are responsible for providing scientific advice as well as taking care of AEWA between meetings of the parties)

Species that are covered by this agreement include:
Ducks, geese and swans (what we are focused here) as well as pelicans, grebes, flamingos, storkes, egrets, gulls, terns, auks as well as many other types. All the birds included are birds that are reliant on wetlands (partly or wholly). This agreement requires that there is good habitat between boundaries and requires international cooperation to ensure this occurs.
Action Plan:
There are a variety of action plans including: single species action plans, internationally agreed conservation guidelines, reviews on threats to conservation of waterbird populations.
The Single Species Action Plan focuses on management for species that are problematic as well as threatened/endangered. Below is a list (with links to the action plan) from AEWA for species action plans.

1. Madagascar Pond Heron (Ardeola idae)
2. White-winged Flufftail (Sarothrura ayresi)
3. Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)
4. Lesser White-fronted Goose (Anser erythropus)
5. Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)
6. Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor)
7. Maccoa Duck (Oxyura maccoa)
8. Light-bellied Brent Goose (Branta bernicla hrota)
9. Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita)
10. Corncrake (Crex crex)
11. White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala)
12. Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca)
13. Great Snipe (Gallinago media)
14. Black-winged Pratincole (Glareola nordmanni)
15. Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius)

The main focus of this agreement is to create foundations internationally that will allow for the conservation of waterbirds and wetlands between nations.