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<p>Defra has sent two representatives to the 12<sup>th</sup> Conference of the Parties
to the Ramsar Convention in Uruguay.</p><p>The UK is a party to the Ramsar Convention
on Wetlands of International Importance and has designated 172 Ramsar sites. This
is more than any other Contracting Party and includes 24 sites in the UK Overseas
Territories and Crown Dependencies. In Great Britain, Ramsar sites cover an area of
almost 700,000 hectares. Detailed site information is available on the Joint Nature
Conservation Committee’s website at: <a href="http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=161"
target="_blank">http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=161</a>.</p><p>In Great
Britain, Ramsar sites are not afforded statutory protection but as a matter of Government
policy receive the same protection as European sites designated under the EU Wild
Birds and Habitats Directives. For example, in England the National Planning Policy
Framework (2012) states that listed or proposed Ramsar sites should be given the same
protection as European sites. In regard to the broader protection of wetlands, this
is mainly delivered through national implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive
and the Birds and Habitats Directives. Defra takes a strategic approach to ensure
that the implementation of these Directives is complementary to deliver common objectives.</p><p>Information
regarding Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Office.</p><p>
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