The Scientific Council is requested, subject to the availability of resources to: a) continue the Working Group on African-Eurasian Migratory Landbirds until the 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP14), extending its membership to incorporate expertise from geographical regions currently absent, to facilitate and monitor the implementation of the Action Plan, and to develop indicators to assess the implementation of the Programme of Work 2016 – 2020; b) in the intersessional period between the 13th and the 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties, and subject to the availability of resources, work with the Migratory Landbird Study Group, relevant academic institutions, research-funders and the Working Group, in order to actively promote research that addresses key knowledge gaps relating to migratory landbird conservation in African landscapes, inter alia, to: i. identify migratory pathways and strategies (including multi-species analysis) using tracking technologies to better understand movement patterns, geographic areas of particular importance to multiple landbird species and migratory connectivity so enabling field research, monitoring and conservation action to be targeted more effectively; ii. undertake detailed field studies in sub-Saharan Africa and at staging sites, in conjunction with existing data where appropriate, to better understand species distribution patterns, habitat use and foraging ecology, and in particular identify and enhance conservation of the stop-over sites immediately to the north and south of the Sahara (including through data collection and seeking linkages with relevant stakeholders); iii. synthesize data from European breeding grounds to explore spatial and temporal patterns in demographic parameters in relation to migratory pathways and large-scale patterns of environmental change; iv. use satellite image Earth observation data and where possible in conjunction with on the ground habitat and bird monitoring (including through synergies with and expansion of common bird monitoring schemes) to improve understanding where land cover is changing and how this impacts African-Eurasian migrant birds, and research the drivers of land use / land cover change; v. seek better understanding of how to influence the economic and social policy drivers causing land use / land cover change at different scales; and vi. encourage research to determine for which declining European landbird migrants declines cannot be explained by conditions in the breeding grounds. c) consider the viability of the Working Group and its Steering Group in the absence of sufficient funds required for the implementation and coordination of the Working Group’s Programme of Work, as outlined in Decision 13.36 (b), and to propose an alternative mechanism for the implementation of these activities, as needed;