Statements made by Mr John E. Scanlon, Secretary-General of CITES

CITES was the third global environmental agreement to be adopted in the early 1970's, signed in Washington DC, US on 3 March 1973 – and 3 March is now celebrated each year as UN World Wildlife Day. It was, however, the first such global agreement to enter into force on 1 July 1975, some six months earlier than the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and the World Heritage Convention.    

John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General 19 June 2015   Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Sally Jewell Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Dan Ashe New York State Senator, Brad Hoylman.

John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General 29 May 2015   Minister Zhao Shucong, State Forestry Administration, Minister Yu Guangzhou, General Administration of Customs, Vice Minister Chen Fengxue, State Forestry Administration, Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Government of China for inviting me to witness the destruction of 662 kg of confiscated elephant ivory today and I regret that I am unable to make it to Beijing in person.

CITES Secretary-General's remarks to the first destruction of confiscated elephant ivory in the United Arab Emirates John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General 29 April 2015 The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Environment and Water, which serves as the Management Authority of CITES. The Dubai Municipality, together with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, which serves as the Scientific Authority of CITES. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Government of the United Arab Emirates, and to the Dubai Municipality, for inviting me to witness the destruction of more than 10 tonnes of confiscated elephant ivory and I regret that I am unable to make it to Dubai in person. -----