CITES Secretariat has today published its provisiona
l assessment of the 52 proposals that will be considered at CoP19 in November. This assessment – and the recommendations that will follow later - are designed to help all Parties to CITES as they consider their positions with regard to the proposals ahead of November’s World Wildlife Conference in Panama.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild animals and plants has 184 signatory Parties and any of them is entitled to bring a proposal to the Conference. The meeting of the Conference of the Parties is CITES’ ultimate decision-making body. The decisions it takes in November will shape the future of international wildlife trade and conservation.
The 52 proposals that have been submitted are being evaluated by experts from the Secretariat, who are also seeking comments from interested bodies.
The proposals cover specific species and their inclusion on, or movement between, Appendix I and Appendix II of CITES. Listings on these Appendices bring different levels of regulation and are designed to help ensure the viability of species whose existence may be threatened by their international trade. Any species that appears on Appendix I is effectively banned from commercial international trade. Appendix II species can be traded but that trade is strictly regulated and subject to tight controls from both the exporting and importing Parties.
The species under consideration at CoP19 include inter alia marine species such as sharks and rays, more than 200 tree species, reptiles such as crocodiles, caiman and lizards, iconic species of rhino, elephant and hippos… turtles, frogs and several species of fish and all species of orchids.
This provisional assessment, published today, will be followed in early October by the Secretariat’s final assessment of the proposals. The final assessment will consider comments from Parties and from other bodies, which are being consulted as they have a particular interest or expertise in the subject of the proposal.
To access the provisional assessment of the Secretariat to the proposals: https://cites.org/sites/default/files/notifications/E-Notif-2022-066.pdf
To access the 52 proposals: https://cites.org/eng/cop/19/amendment-proposals
For more information on CITES CoP19 – including the impending deadline for registrations: https://cites.org/eng/cop19