The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) two-week summit has closed with Secretary-General John E. Scanlon describing the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties as “a game changer”.
Scalon said the triennial summit, which closed on Tuesday, “will be remembered as a point in history when the tide turned in favour of ensuring the survival of our most vulnerable wildlife”.
It was the largest ever meeting of its kind with 152 governments taking decisions on 62 species-listing proposals submitted by 64 countries.
In total, more than 3,500 people attended the meeting, which also recorded the highest number of side events and intense media interest from every region of the world.
The Johannesburg meeting ended a day early, with high levels of consensus and a focus on implementing decisions on the ground.
The outgoing Standing Committee Chair, Øystein Størkersen described CITES as an exceptional model for how to give expression to international agreements.
“CoP17 (Conference of Parties) adopted decisions that saw wildlife firmly embedded in the agendas of global enforcement, development and financing agencies that have the capacity and technical expertise to help ensure implementation of the Convention on the front lines, where it matters most – with the CITES management and scientific authorities, as well as customs officials, rural communities, businesses, police, prosecutors and park rangers,” said Scanlon.
“Notable successes included decisions to bring new marine and timber species under CITES trade controls, continuing a trend from CoP16, where countries turned to CITES to assist them along the path to sustainability in oceans and forests. It was not just the well-known species that were on the agenda, the pangolin and many lesser know species also came under the spotlight,” added Scanlon.
“Protection of endangered species is paramount when it comes to preserving our natural heritage. The CITES conference saw a strong desire from countries to ensure that we are mounting a defense for plants and animals, big and small,” said Erik Solheim, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, who attended the opening of CoP17.
“Illegal trade of everything from the helmeted hornbill to the hundreds of species of rosewood severely damages our planet, and it’s only through the international cooperation we’ve seen under CITES that we can prevent it,” said Solheim.
The Johannesburg conference was marked by agreement on measures to improve sustainable trade in a number of species, including the queen conch, humphead wrasse, sharks, snakes and African wild dog as well as a large range of timber species, such as bubinga and rosewoods, and the African cherry and agarwood.
Parties also recognised several conservation success stories, including that of the Cape mountain zebra, several species of crocodiles and the wood bison, which were all by consensus down listed from Appendix I under CITES to Appendix II in recognition of their improved conservation status.
There was fresh impetus to further safeguard threatened wild animals and plants with added protection for the African grey parrot, Barbary Macaque, Blaine’s fishhook cactus, elephant, pangolin and saiga antelope; and well-targeted enforcement measures agreed to combat illegal trade for specific species.
These included the African grey parrot, African lion, cheetah, helmeted hornbill, pangolin, rhino and totoaba.
Multiple new animals and plants were also added to CITES Appendices for the first time, and hence will come under CITES trade controls.
These decisions affect a large number of mammals, marine and timber species as well as many reptiles and amphibians and include more than 350 species of rosewood, devil rays, silky sharks and thresher sharks.
“CITES is now seen as an indispensable tool for achieving the Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals,” observed Scanlon who also thanked South Africa’s Minister of Environmental Affairs, Dr Edna Molewa, for hosting the Ministerial meeting on the topic of CITES and the Sustainable Development Goals.
CoP17 saw a number of firsts, including, the first ever:
· Resolution on corruption and wildlife crime;
· Decisions on cybercrime and wildlife crime;
· Resolution on strategies to reduce the demand for illegally traded wildlife,
· Resolutions affecting the helmeted hornbill and snakes;
· Decisions on targeting the illegal fishing of and trade in totoaba, and the related illegal killing of the vaquita;
· Resolution and decisions on youth engagement in CITES; and
· Decisions on rural communities engagement, providing a greater voice for local people in managing wildlife.
The conference in Johannesburg was also the first meeting that the European Union participated and voted, as a Party to the Convention.
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