7. The Conference elected Mr. E. Firouz, Head of the Imperial Iranian Delegation, as President of the Conference.

8. The Conference elected as Vice-Presidents, Dr. V. D. Denisov, Head of the Delegation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and Professor Dr. M. F. Morzer Bruyns, Head of the Delegation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

9. The Iranian Game and Fish Department and the International Wildfowl Research Burcau (IWRB) provided the Secretariat of the Con- ference. Professor G. V. T. Matthews, Director of IWRB, was appointed Rapporteur-General of the Conference.

10. The following Committees were established by the Conference:

Credentials Committee

Mr. S. A. Hejmadi (India)

Mr. A. Dakhgan (Jordan)

Dr. L. E. Esping (Sweden, acting as Rapporteur)

Dr. A. Schifferli (Switzerland)

Drafting Committee

Count Cornet d'Elzius (Belgium)

Dr. W. Erz (Federal Republic of Germany)

Dr. M. Nabavi (Iran)

Mr. E. J. Ph. Roberts (Netherlands)

Professor Yu. Isakov (USSR)

Rapporteurs: Sir Hugh Elliott (IBP)

Mr. F. G. Nicholls (IUCN)

11. The Conference was deeply impressed by the decision included in the Message sent to it by H.I.M. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shahinshah Aryamehr of Iran, that the Imperial Iranian Government would place one of its wetland ecosystems of special global significance in joint trust with a suitable international agency, such as the United Nations Organization, to conserve and administer for all mankind. The Conference commended this most important precedent to other governments.

12. The Government of Iran in convening the Conference referred to it the draft of a Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat, which has resulted from an international meeting of experts held at Espoo, Finland, in March 1970. This draft, together with comments of the Governments of France, Netherlands, Sweden and the USSR concerning it, constituted the basis for discussion by the Conference.

13. On the basis of its deliberations, as recorded in the summary records of its sessions, the Conference prepared and adopted in accordance with its rules of procedure a final text of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat, which is appended as Annex 1* to this Final Act.

* Reproduced separately (note by depositary).

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