Recommendation to suspend trade with Mauritania and Somalia

Since the 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (Gigiri, 2000), Parties have been grouped for priority attention under the National Legislation Project on the basis of when their legislation was analysed during the period 1993-1997, the category in which the legislation was placed and their volume of CITES trade. Parties included in the group containing Mauritania and Somalia were to report on their legislative progress no later than six months prior to the 46th meeting of the Standing Committee (Geneva, March 2002). Although neither Mauritania nor Somalia made such a report, there was no requirement that the Standing Committee take any action.

At the 12th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (Santiago, 2002), Decision 12.80 was adopted requiring Mauritania and Somalia to submit a CITES Legislation Plan by 31 March 2003. Decision 12.81 was also adopted providing that, with respect to those Parties that did not comply with the requirement, “the Standing Committee shall consider appropriate measures, which may include restrictions on the commercial trade in specimens of CITES-listed species to or from such Parties”.

At the 49th meeting of the Standing Committee (Geneva, April 2003), the Secretariat reported that no information on legislative progress had been provided by Mauritania or Somalia. The Committee instructed the Secretariat to issue a formal caution to those Parties:

a) warning them that they were in non-compliance with Decision 12.80;

b) requesting that a CITES Legislation Plan be submitted to the Secretariat as a matter of urgency so as to inform the Secretariat on the progress to date and on the steps required to meet the 30 June 2004 deadline for the enactment of adequate legislation as required in Decision 12.80; and

c) advising that the Standing Committee would take at its 50th meeting further action that may include recommending restrictions on the commercial trade in specimens of CITES-listed species, in the event of failure of a Party to comply with Decision 12.80.

At the 50th meeting of the Standing Committee (Geneva, March 2004), the Secretariat reported that it had issued formal cautions (that included a sample CITES Legislation Plan) in July 2003 to Mauritania and Somalia, with copies to permanent missions and regional Notification No. 2004/055 page 2 representatives to the Standing Committee. It further reported that neither of those Parties had provided the Secretariat with information showing adequate legislative progress or good cause for the lack of progress.

The Committee instructed the Secretariat to issue a Notification recommending a suspension of commercial trade in specimens of CITES-listed species with these two Parties in the event that no CITES Legislation Plan or draft or enacted legislation was received from them by the Secretariat by 30 June 2004.

Despite sending an additional reminder, the Secretariat has not received a revised CITES Legislation Plan or draft or enacted legislation from either Mauritania or Somalia.

The Secretariat therefore informs Parties, pursuant to Decision 12.81, that the Conference of the Parties recommends that all Parties suspend commercial trade in specimens of CITES-listed species with Mauritania and Somalia until further notice.