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19 June 2007
After two weeks of discussion and negotiation, the 14th meeting of the Conference of the parties to CITES closed on Friday with several important decisions to manage international trade in endangered species. In particular, the decisions on Asian big cats and tigers and the African consensus on the trade in ivory and other elephant products were notable outcomes of the meeting. In addition, Parties agreed to regulate trade in species, including sawfish, European eel, and a timber species, Pau Brazil. “The conference once again highlighted the unique role of CITES in conserving species subject to international trade by regulating that trade, and we also welcome the increasing recognition by Parties of the connections between the trade in species and other issues, such as effective governance, poverty reduction and sustainable livelihoods,” said Dr. Sue Mainka, Head of the IUCN Delegation. Strategic vision 2008-2013 A major result of COP 14 was the CITES Strategic Vision 2008-2013 – essentially the blueprint for CITES action in the coming six years. IUCN welcomes the Strategic Vision 2008-2013 which Parties adopted by consensus as a major step forward for the convention, as it spells out its objectives and provides for ways to clearly measure progress towards their achievement. IUCN supported its adoption, but noted that the CITES budget does not yet cover the full scope of ambition defined with the Strategic Vision. Fulfilling CITES’ true potential will require additional fund-raising and resourcing efforts. Species trade and Livelihoods IUCN welcomes the increased attention of the Convention to the impacts on livelihoods of trade regulations and management measures. In particular, the convention will develop a way to assess the livelihood implications of future species listings and case studies on how such listings have positively or negatively affected the opportunities of local communities. IUCN believes the Convention can and should play a greater role in contributing to the Millennium Development Goals, and the development of this methodology is an important first step. Synergies with other environmental conventions Another area of progress is the increased attention of CITES to working with other conventions to avoid overlap and increase synergies, as well as the growing number of collaborative arrangements and partnerships with other institutions to improve delivery of the Convention. For this meeting, the results of discussions on relevant issues with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the International Tropical Timber Organization was an important part of the background documentation. IUCN recognized as a key technical advisor IUCN, and in particular IUCN Species Survival Commission Specialist Groups, were specifically recognized both for their role in preparations for the meeting and also in their potential role in carrying out many of the COP 14 decisions. This increased recognition comes along with increased responsibility to deliver information and support to Parties in their efforts to implement the Convention at the national level. For more information contact:
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