A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance. These wetlands are protected under strict guidelines of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands. The convention, signed in 1971 by UNESCO in the Iranian city of Ramsar, is one of the oldest inter-governmental accords for preserving the ecological character of wetlands.