Sponsored delegates project

Photo by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth
(photo by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth)

The Sponsored Delegates Project aims to ensure representation at meetings of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) of least developed countries, developing countries and countries with economies in transition that do not have sufficient funds to support the participation of two delegates. Full participation in CoPs is essential to ensure that the recommendations and decisions that are voted reflect the agreements reached by the majority of CITES Parties. This is very important given that, in the past, the results of several crucial votes taken at the meetings were decided by very close margins.

Provisions of the Convention

Resolutions / Decisions

Relevant documents

(Notifications for previsous SDP)

Funding Status for CoP18

 

Call for support - CoP18 

The Secretariat invites all States and organizations that might be able to provide financial support to inform us as soon as possible. The fund-raising target for this project is USD 1 million to enable the Secretariat to provide the same level of support to Parties as at previous meetings.

If you are interested in making a financial contribution to this project, please contact the CITES Secretariat ([email protected]).

Contributions received for the CoP18 Sponsored Delegates Project (as at 9 August 2019)

Donors

Amount Pledged

 Amount Deposited
European Union  US$ 208,132 US$ 208,132
United States of America - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) US$ 91,394 US$ 91,394
Aage V. Jensen Charity Foundation US$ 9,600 US$9,600
Germany EUR 70,000 US$79,387
Norway NOK 400,000 US$45,810
Netherlands EUR 25,000 US$28,188
CITES registration fees US$ 100,000 US$ 100,000
Hong Kong  HKD 100,000 US$ 12,710
Switzerland CHF 30,000 US$ 29,383
Finland EUR 15,000 US$ 16,634
Sweden SKR 400,000 US$ 42,899
Switzerland (additional) CHF 70,000  

Selection criteria

  • The selection is based on the four categories of the UNDP Human Development Index, (with priority order starting at the bottom of the lowest development list). However, for CoP16, the Secretariat recommended the use of the same indicator as the one that would be selected in relation to document SC62 Doc. 11 (on Provision of support for committee members) in order to harmonize the approaches to these two support mechanisms.
  • Priority will be given to those Parties that attended with fewer than 6 delegates at the previous meeting of the CoP. 

    Information on other sources of funding for CoP18

    Resolution Conf. 17.3 on Sponsored Delegates Project URGES governments, international organisations, non-governmental organisations and private bodies which, instead of using the possibility to provide funds to the Sponsored Delegates Project, decide to fund the participation in CoP meetings of representatives from other Parties (for example by covering travel or accommodation costs), to inform the Secretariat about such funding.

    Any information received will appear here. 

    If any entities wish to provide such information, please contact [email protected]. 

      Previous SDP information