Introduction The Ramsar Convention is an international convention that establishes a framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. It is the only global treaty that focuses specifically on wetlands. The Convention was signed in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into effect in 1975. Since then, about 90 percent of UN member nations have become "Contracting Parties," pledging their support for the Convention's three pillars: Objective Wo