Introduction to CITES www.CITES.org Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora © Copyright CITES Secretariat 2005

Overview What is CITES? How CITES works The benefits of CITES Partnerships CITES in the region

What is CITES?

…in operation for 35 years CITES CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora It is also known as the Washington Convention, as it was signed in Washington D.C. CITES was signed on 3 March 1973, and entered into force on 1 July 1975 …in operation for 35 years

CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

CITES CITES was ‘born’ from a resolution adopted by the eighth General Assembly of IUCN held in Nairobi in 1963, which expressed concern about the wildlife trade and called for a mechanism to regulate this trade The drafting of the text started in 1964, and after several worldwide consultations the final text was adopted in Washington in 1973 It has now become one of the largest conservation oriented Conventions

…is relevant to an ever-increasing number of Parties CITES …is relevant to an ever-increasing number of Parties 175

Parties 175 Non Parties 23 Some of the non parties : Tajikistan Turkmenistan Andorra Faroe Islands Haiti Tonga Maldives Marshall Islands

CITES CITES is an agreement between governments, to ensure that Wild Fauna and Flora in international Trade are not exploited unsustainably

CITES CITES is an international convention that combines wildlife and trade themes with a legally binding instrument for achieving conservation and sustainable use objectives

Examples of trade - animals Primates Hunting trophies Birds of prey Parrots & parakeets Crocodilians Snakes & lizards Turtles & tortoises Live aquarium specimens Food fishes Spiders & butterflies Molluscs & corals

Examples of trade - plants Orchids Cacti & succulents Bulbs (Snowdrops, Cyclamens) Medicinal plants Ornamental trees Timber species

Mapping CITES trade Major exporting areas Major importing areas South America Central America Africa South east Asia North America Western Europe East Asia Major importing & exporting areas Asia Southern Africa Middle East Oceania Eastern Europe

Popular perceptions of CITES Perception of the public… of Government… and traders… Perceptions = awareness

Misconceptions about CITES CITES deals with all aspects of wildlife conservation CITES deals only with international trade in certain species included in its Appendices Peregrine Falcon App. ( I ) Cheetah Chimpanzee Grey parrot App. ( II ) Saiga antelope  Peacock Lesser kudu Giraffe Dik-Dik Burchell’s Zebra

Misconceptions about CITES CITES aims to ban all wildlife trade CITES aims to regulate international trade. Grey parrot App. ( II ) Blue and gold macaw Barbary Sheep Dorcas Gazelle App. ( III ) Hatchet cacti Blue vanda

(for some species trade is highly restricted) Blue Whale App. I Gorilla App. I Javan Rhino App. I Tiger App. I African Elephant App. I / II Wood’s Cycad App. I Green Turtle App. I

Misconceptions about CITES CITES regulates domestic trade CITES can only address international trade Brown Bear Ursus arctos App. I / II Wolf Canis lupus App. I / II Common otter   Lutra lutra App. I The Contracting States, Recognizing that peoples and States are and should be the best protectors of their own wild fauna and flora;

Misconceptions about CITES CITES regulates domestic trade CITES can only address international trade The Contracting States, Recognizing that peoples and States are and should be the best protectors of their own wild fauna and flora;

Misconceptions about CITES The CITES Appendices are a listing of the world’s endangered species The Appendices only list those species that are or may be affected by international trade European bison    Bottle palm  Arabian tahr

Misconceptions about CITES CITES imposes trade restrictions on developing countries Both producer and consumer countries have responsibility for conserving and managing resources; CITES creates the means for international cooperation and decision-making

Misconceptions about CITES The CITES Secretariat issues permits to authorize trade in CITES specimens - Permits are only issued by the Management Authority of each Party to CITES

How CITES works

How CITES Works The text of the convention consists of 25 articles covers number of subjects like: (Regulation of Trade in Specimens of Species included in Appendices, Permits and Certificates, Measures to be Taken by the Parties, Management and Scientific Authorities, Conference of the Parties, The Secretariat, Accession ….etc) The convention has three appendices contain names of the Fauna and flora subjected to the convention.

How CITES Works The Convention establishes an international legal framework with common procedural mechanisms for the prevention of international commercial trade in endangered species, and for an effective regulation of international trade in others

CITES regulates the export, re-export and import of live and dead animals and plants and their parts and derivatives (for listed species only)

CITES regulates the international trade through a system of permits and certificates, Which may only be issued if certain conditions are met and which must be presented when leaving or entering a country

Do you have CITES permit? Take him to the custody in the ZOO What..!! Do you have CITES permit? O.K, you can enter Take him to the custody in the ZOO Noooo, Pleeeeease No, I do not have Yes, here it is.

How many bird do I have of this specie? For Appendix I and II-listed species, the most important condition is that international trade in these species must not be detrimental to their survival in the wild How many bird I can export without a detrimental effect on their survival in wild? How many bird do I have of this specie?

How CITES works This framework and common procedural mechanism is now used by 175 countries (the Conference of the Parties) to regulate and monitor international trade in wild resources

How CITES works Conference of the Parties Standing Committee Animals Committee Plants Committee Secretariat Nomenclature Committee UNEP TRAFFIC IUCN UNEP-WCMC Other NGOs

Conference of the Parties Officers in charge of implementing CITES How CITES works Conference of the Parties Permanent Committees Secretariat Recommendations Guidance WCO, Interpol Scientific Authority Management Authority TRAFFIC IUCN UNEP-WCMC Officers in charge of implementing CITES

The CITES Budget Contributions are paid by the Parties into a CITES Trust Fund which is used to finance the budget Contributions are proportional and are calculated on the basis of the UN scale of contributions See Resolution Conf. 12.1, CITES 2005 budget = 4.480.000 US dollars The budget is used to finance: Meetings of the Conference of the Parties and the Permanent Committees Basic services and activities, such as the trade database, review of significant trade, capacity building The basic functioning of the Secretariat, such as staff salaries and missions

The CITES Budget External Funding: 1 million US dollars raised on average per year in addition to the Trust Fund External funding is used for projects: Technical Assistance to Parties Training Seminars, enforcement activities, identification manual, publications, national legislation activities Scientific Research Population studies Sponsored Delegates Project

82 Resolutions and 150 Decisions are in effect How CITES works The Conference of the Parties adopts Resolutions to guide the interpretation and implementation of the Convention, and Decisions to provide specific short-term time-bound instructions 82 Resolutions and 150 Decisions are in effect

How CITES works The Convention and its Appendices are legally binding, but national legislation is required to apply its provisions

How CITES works National legislation to implement CITES must, at the very least: designate a Management Authority and a Scientific Authority prohibit trade in specimens in violation of the Convention penalize such trade allow for confiscation of specimens illegally traded or possessed

How CITES works The Management Authority is responsible for the administrative aspects of implementation (legislation, permits, annual and biennial reports on trade, communication with other CITES agencies)

How CITES works The Scientific Authority is responsible for advising the Management Authority on non- detriment findings and other scientific aspects of implementation, and monitoring of national trade

How CITES works Species subject to CITES regulation are divided amongst three Appendices The Conference of the Parties is the only body that can decide on the contents of Appendices I and II Any proposal to amend these two Appendices requires a two-thirds majority of voting Parties for it to be adopted Only Parties may propose amendments to the Appendices

How CITES works Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction International (commercial) trade is generally prohibited Almost 530 animal species and some 300 plant species Microcycas calocoma Photo: G. va Vliet Ailurus fulgens

How CITES works Appendix II includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but for which trade must be controlled to avoid their becoming threatened includes species that resemble species already included in Appendix I or II International trade is permitted but regulated More than 4,400 animal species and more than 28,000 plant species Dionaea muscipula Tupinambis

Streptotelia semitorquata (Photo: P. Dollinger) How CITES works Appendix III includes species for which a country is asking Parties to help with its protection International trade is permitted but regulated (less restrictive than Appendix II) Some 255 animal species and 7 plant species Streptotelia semitorquata (Photo: P. Dollinger)

How CITES works There are special provisions for: Personal and household effects Pre-Convention specimens Transit and trans-shipment Captive-bred or artificially propagated specimens Scientific exchange Travelling exhibitions

How CITES works CITES documents are standardized for: Format Language & terminology Information Duration of validity Issuance procedures Clearance procedures

How CITES works There are four types of CITES documents: Export permits Import permits Re-export certificates Other certificates

How CITES works Export permits Export permits can only be issued by the Management Authority, provided the Scientific Authority has advised that the proposed export will not be detrimental to the survival of the species The Management Authority must be satisfied that the specimen was legally obtained The Management Authority must be satisfied that living specimens will be prepared and shipped in a manner that will minimize the risk of injury, damage to health or cruel treatment

How CITES works Import permits (Applies only to specimens of Appendix-I species) Import permits can only be issued by the Management Authority, when the Scientific Authority has advised that the proposed import will be for purposes that are not detrimental to the survival of the species Note: by taking stricter domestic measures a number of Parties (e.g. the member States of the European Union) also require import documents for specimens of Appendix II species

Re-export certificates How CITES works Re-export certificates Re-export certificates may only be issued by the Management Authority, and only when that authority is satisfied that the specimens have been imported in accordance with the provisions of the Convention

How CITES works Other certificates These are used for particular cases such as: Captive-bred or artificially propagated specimens Pre-Convention specimens Traveling exhibitions Introduction from the Sea Appendix III certificate of origin Labels for scientific exchange

COMMON PROCEDURAL MECHANISMS Similar rules and regulations How CITES works Similar authorities Similar requirements Similar procedures COMMON PROCEDURAL MECHANISMS Similar rules and regulations Similar documents

The benefits of CITES

The benefits of CITES Effective and consistent international regulation of trade in wildlife for conservation and sustainable use International cooperation on trade and conservation, legislation and enforcement, resource management, conservation science Participation as a global player in managing and conserving wildlife at the international level

Partnerships

Partnerships with Conventions CITES collaborates directly with a number of Conventions, such as: Convention on Biological Diversity Basel Convention Ramsar Convention on Migratory Species International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling This collaboration can involve Resolutions and Decisions of the Conference of the Parties, joint work activities, etc. Collaboration can be across common areas of work, such as joint Customs training, enforcement, streamlining annual reporting, harmonization of legislation etc.

World Customs Organization UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre Partnerships with Organisations World Customs Organization UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre Interpol TRAFFIC Network IUCN, IUCN-SSC

Internal partnerships Inter-agency cooperation and partnerships at the national level are also important CITES Authorities Customs Police Judiciary Resource sectors

CITES in the region

CITES in the region Non-Parties Turkmenistan Iraq Non party Non party 1999 Non-Parties Turkmenistan Iraq 2000 1992 2008 1996 Uzbekistan 1997 1998 1996 Non party 2003 Non party 1976

Summary

Summary CITES is an international agreement between governments that ensures that no species of wild fauna or flora is unsustainably exploited for international trade The Convention establishes the international legal framework and common procedural mechanisms for the prevention of international trade in endangered species, and for an effective regulation of international trade in others

Summary CITES regulates international trade in specimens of species of wild fauna and flora listed in its Appendices on the basis of a system of permits and certificates which are issued only when certain conditions are met, and which must be presented when leaving AND entering a country For Appendix-I listed species, international trade is generally prohibited For Appendix-II and –III listed species, international trade is permitted but regulated

Summary The Conference of the Parties adopts Resolutions and Decisions to guide interpretation of the Convention and to direct its activities and those of the permanent committees and the Secretariat National legislation is required to implement the Convention CITES is a powerful tool for achieving consistent international regulation of trade in wildlife for conservation and sustainable use

The Aims of CITES Regulated trade (effective and consistent) Science-based decisions Cooperation at multiple levels Conservation results Sustainable use of wildlife Towards a ’green’ certification?