CBD CoP16 Agenda Item 13 on Cooperation: Remarks by CITES Secretary-General Ivonne Higuero, Vice-Chair of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF)

Updated on 28 October 2024

 

CBD CoP16 Agenda Item 13 on Cooperation with international organizations and bodies established under other conventions

Remarks by CITES Secretary-General and CPF Vice-Chair Ivonne Higuero

22 October 2024, Cali, Colombia

 

© CITES Secretariat

Excellencies,

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora or CITES since 1975 is a key mechanism for safeguarding wild species across the globe, ensuring that international trade does not compromise the survival of about 40,900 species of fauna and flora listed in its Appendices.

At the core of CITES is a recognition of the irreplaceable value of wild fauna and flora in their many beautiful and varied forms. These species are fundamental components of the natural systems that support biodiversity, provide ecosystem services, and contribute to the wellbeing of all generations—present and future. This vision aligns closely with the aspirations of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which emphasizes the necessity of halting and reversing biodiversity loss through collaborative action.

Forests, like other ecosystems, are no exception to the critical role CITES plays in safeguarding biodiversity.

For example, CITES now regulates the international trade of around 800 tree species, contributing to targets 5 and 10, by ensuring that it meets baseline requirements on sustainability, legality and traceability. These species include rosewoods, mahoganies, cedars, agarwood, yew trees, African cherry, cumarú, and brazilwood.

CITES cooperates with the CBD and the other 14 members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests or CPF, to promote the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of all types of forests. 

This week, at “Forest and Water Day”, CPF will launch the publication titled: “The Forest Factor” highlighting the pivotal role of forests in achieving the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Together with FAO, CITES facilitates CPF efforts to enhance policy and program coordination on forest-related issues, and to support countries in their efforts to integrate forest biodiversity into National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans. To this end CPF has recently launched the CPF joint initiative: “Mainstreaming biodiversity in Forestry”.

CPF Members have been working together to strengthen cooperation, addressing the interconnections between forests, climate change, biodiversity loss, desertification, and other global challenges and to enhance the implementation of other international forest-related goals.  

UNFF19 invited the governing bodies of the members of the CPF to integrate the global forest goals into their plans and operational programmes of work and “to take mutually beneficial decisions on strengthening the Partnership”.

Regarding para 18 d) under item 13 of the draft decisions of COP16 we suggest adding some specificity with the following additions “requests the Executive Secretary, subject to the availability of resources, to strengthen collaboration with the United Nations Forum on Forests and other relevant organizations such as the International Tropical Timber Organisation, and active engagement with the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, including through further development of its work plan and joint initiatives, to support the coherent implementation of the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030 and its Global Forest Goals, the Convention of Biological Diversity and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Thank you, Madame Chair.