1
CITES Secretariat
Introduction to
CITES
2
CITES
• CITES is 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
CITES has been in operation
for almost 40 years
3
CITES
• The purpose of CITES is to ensure that wild
fauna and flora in international trade are not
exploited unsustainably
4
CITES
• CITES is an international convention that
combines wildlife and trade themes with a
legally binding instrument for achieving
conservation and sustainable use objectives
5
CITES
• The Convention establishes
an international legal
framework together with
common procedural
mechanisms for the strictest
control of international
commercial trade in species
threatened with extinction,
and for an effective
regulation of international
trade in others
6
CITES
• This framework and common procedural
mechanism are now used by 180 countries to
regulate and monitor international trade in
listed species
7
CITES Text
• The text of the Convention outlines the basic
provisions for trade and obligations of each
Party, including:
– Trade procedures
and requirements
– Marking
– Enforcement
measures
– Reporting
– Confiscations
– Trade facilitation
– Trade with nonParties
– Exemptions and
special procedures
– Amendment of the
Appendices
8
Resolutions and Decisions
• The Conference of the Parties adopts
Resolutions to guide the interpretation and
implementation of the Convention, and
Decisions to provide specific short-term timebound instructions
• 89 Resolutions and 196 Decisions
are in effect
9
CITES Appendices
• Species subject to CITES regulation are
divided amongst three Appendices
I
II
III
"Species" means any species, subspecies, or
geographically separate population thereof
10
CITES Appendices
Appendix I
– Species threatened with
extinction, which are or may
be affected by trade
– International (commercial)
trade in wild-taken
specimens is generally
prohibited
– 625 animal species and 301
plant species
11
CITES Appendices
Appendix II
– Species not necessarily
threatened with extinction, but for
which trade must be controlled to
avoid their becoming so, and
species that resemble species
already included in Appendix II
– International trade is permitted but
regulated
– 4685 animal species and 29105
plant species (97% of all listings)
12
CITES Appendices
Appendix III
– Species for which a country is
asking Parties to help with its
protection
– International trade is permitted but
regulated (less restrictive than
Appendix II)
– 147 animal species and
119 plant species
13
Species in trade
• Not all listed species appear in trade
– Of the 34,782 listed species, some 3,680 animal
species and 9,577 plant species have appeared in
trade during 2004-2008
– Of these, 11,076 species appeared in 100 or
fewer shipments worldwide during this period
– Overall, 157 animal species and 1,878 plant
species accounted for 90% of CITES transactions
during this period
14
CITES Appendices
• The Appendices require careful interpretation
– Species listings can be annotated to specify:
• the inclusion or exclusion of designated geographically
separate populations, subspecies, species, groups of
species, or higher taxa, which may include export quotas;
and
• the types of specimens or export quotas
15
Parts and derivatives
• Parts and derivatives are always included for species
in Appendix I, and for animal species in Appendix II
Appendix I
Appendix II
Appendix III
Animal parts
and derivatives
Always
included
Always
included
Included if
specified
Plant parts and
derivatives
Always
included
Included if
specified
Included if
specified
• Annotations to the listings for plants in Appendix II, and
for Appendix III species, determine which parts and
derivatives are included (The Parties have agreed that for plant
species included in Appendix II, the absence of an annotation relating to that
species indicates that all readily recognizable parts and derivatives are included)
16
CITES Permits and Certificates
• CITES regulates the export, re-export, import and
introduction from the sea of live and dead animals and
plants and their parts and derivatives (listed species
only) through a system of permits and certificates
• These permits or certificates may only be issued if
certain conditions are met and which must be
presented when leaving or entering a country
• For Appendix I and II species, the most important
conditions are legal acquisition and that international
trade must not be detrimental to their survival in the
wild
17
Collaboration and cooperation
• Collaboration and cooperation at the national level
are essential for CITES implementation
– CITES Authorities
– Resource sectors
– Customs
– Police
– Judiciary
– Affected stakeholders, including the private sector
18
How CITES works
Similar trade
requirements
Similar rules
and
regulations
Similar
authorities
Similar
procedures
COMMON
PROCEDURAL
MECHANISMS
Similar
documents
19
CITES Structure
Conference of the Parties
Standing
Committee
Animals
Committee
Plants
Committee
Secretariat
UNEP
FAO / IGOs
NGOs
private sector
etc.
20
CITES Structure
Conference of the
Parties
Recommendations
Scientific
Authority
Guidance
Management
Authority
Officers in charge
of implementing
CITES
Permanent
Committees
Secretariat
Other MEAs
UNEP-WCMC
WCO
ICPO-Interpol
ITTO, FAO
IUCN
Other IGOs
NGOs
Private sector
21
Trade with non-Parties
• Where export or re-export is to, or import is from, a
non-Party, comparable documentation issued by the
competent authorities which substantially conforms
with CITES requirements for permits and certificates
may be accepted
• Parties accept documentation from States not party
to the Convention only if the details of the competent
authorities and scientific institutions of such States
are included in the online CITES Directory
• This also applies to specimens in transit destined for
or coming from non-Parties
22
Summary
• CITES is an international agreement between
governments aimed at ensuring 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
an effective regulation of international trade in
Appendix-II and -III species, and for the strictest
control of international trade in Appendix-I species
• Inter-agency and inter-sector collaboration is essential
for the effective implementation of CITES
23
Summary
• CITES regulates international trade in wild fauna and
flora listed in its Appendices on the basis of a system
of permits and certificates which are issued when
certain conditions are met, and which must be
presented when leaving and entering a country
• For Appendix-II and –III species, international trade is
permitted but regulated, and for Appendix-I species,
international (commercial) trade in wild-taken
specimens is generally prohibited
• The Conference of the Parties is the ultimate decisionmaking body in CITES
24
Trade should be legal, sustainable
and traceable
Legal trade can be beneficial for conservation
of wild species, and for livelihoods
Illegal trade can pose a serious risk to the
conservation of wild species
25
CITES Secretariat
Geneva
www.cites.org