Geneva, 24 January 2025 – The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is preparing for the 20th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CITES CoP20), scheduled to take place in November 2025. This landmark event will be hosted by Uzbekistan in the historic city of Samarkand, renowned for its cultural and architectural significance.
The Conference of the Parties is the largest gathering of CITES Parties, held every two to three years. It serves as a critical platform where decisions are made regarding all matters of the Convention, such as: amending species listings, enhancing the effectiveness of the Convention, and ensuring the Secretariat’s capacity to function effectively.

To ensure an inclusive and equitable decision-making process, it is vital that all CITES Parties, have the opportunity to participate. Recognizing this need, the Sponsored Delegates Project (SDP), as outlined in Resolution 17.3 (Rev. CoP19), aims to provide financial support to delegates who are selected based on the four categories of the UNDP Human Development Index presented in the 2023-2024 Human Development Report, taking also into consideration other factors such as Least Developing Countries, Small Island Developing States, Parties under compliance processes, Parties with fewer than 6 delegates at the previous meeting of the CoP, among others. This initiative covers travel expenses to and from the CoP venue, as well as accommodation costs during the meeting.
The CITES Secretariat is calling on States, organizations and private bodies worldwide to contribute to the SDP for CoP20 as soon as possible. To balance transparency, fairness, and neutrality, sponsors are acknowledged for their contributions, but the allocation of funds to delegations is not linked to specific donors. The fundraising goal for this initiative is USD 1 million, which will enable the Secretariat to maintain the level of support provided at previous conferences. Parties that require financial support for the travel and subsistence to attend CoP20 should contact the Secretariat to indicate their need for support.
By supporting this initiative, donors contribute to the achievement of the CITES Strategic Vision 2030 for a world where all wildlife trade is legal and sustainable, as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Updates on the funding status will be published regularly on the Sponsored Delegates Project CoP20 webpage.
More details and the procedures for providing funds as well as to apply for the sponsorship of delegations are available in the CITES Notification No. 2024/131.
____________________
Editor’s Notes:
For media enquiries, please contact [email protected]
For general enquiries, please contact [email protected]
About CITES
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was signed on 3 March 1973 and entered into force on 1 July 1975. With 185 Parties (184 countries + the European Union), it remains one of the world's most powerful tools for wildlife conservation through the regulation of international trade in over 40,900 species of wild animals and plants. CITES-listed species are used by people around the world in their daily lives for food, health care, furniture, housing, tourist souvenirs, cosmetics or fashion. CITES seeks to ensure that international trade in such species is sustainable, legal and traceable and contributes to both the livelihoods of the communities that live closest to them and to national economies for a healthy planet and the prosperity of the people in support of UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Follow CITES on social media:
Find out more: https://cites.org/eng