• WHO? OMPO, Migratory Birds of the Western Palearctic, is a Non-Governmental organization under French Law with international focus created in 1984.

Its area of intervention covers that of the AEWA, Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds on 118 countries, spread from Siberia to southern Africa.

The purpose of OMPO is to contribute to a better understanding of Palearctic migratory birds and their habitats across their overall distribution range at the various seasons of the annual cycle.

To do this, OMPO operates on a block diagram based on the rigorous optimization of its funding.

A scientific and technical section based in Paris (France) and linked to an OMPO-Unit at the Center for Nature Research, University of Vilnius (Lithuania), designs, builds, and coordinates all programs of study and action plans.

Projects are submitted to OMPO’s partners of its international network of scientists before being contracted with university teams, hunting organizations, ornithological societies, etc. This network includes more than a hundred employees who carry out studies.

• WHY? OMPO is born from the observation that knowledge on migratory bird populations and their Flyways was notoriously fragmented and did not permit to have a global view of their status and functioning.

OMPO’s reflection has naturally focused on how best to fill those deficiencies and gaps by resolutely looking for means to answer questions put by their sustainability.

This worry to have better and more comprehensive knowledge is part, indeed, of the urgent need for our civilization to preserve biodiversity in order to transmit to future generations the natural living heritage that are migratory birds.

These principles are the scope of OMPO’s action which assembles biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of its resources across the Palearctic. To do so, OMPO favors:

- An increased account of biological specificities, regulatory factors and requirements of migratory bird populations, particularly in terms of habitat,

- The mobilization of the hunting community on its specific responsibility vis-à-vis the migratory avifauna, via a solid support to research and a firm commitment in species and habitat conservation programs.

• HOW? Achieving these goals requires a total commitment and a clear vision of actions, without any derogation to scientific objectivity.

OMPO contributes to the advancement and sharing of knowledge, acting in partnership with other organizations pursuing similar and converging goals: AEWA, IUCN, Wetlands International, Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar), ONCFS, ... in full accordance with the governments concerned.