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

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

3. What is CITES?

4. …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

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

6. 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

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

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

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

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

11. 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

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

13. 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

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

15. 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

16. 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

17. (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

18. 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;

20. 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;

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. How CITES works

25. 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.

26. 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

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

28. 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

29. 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.

30. 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?

31. 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

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

33. 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

34. 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 = 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

35. 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

36. 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

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

38. 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

39. 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)

40. 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

41. 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

42. 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

43. 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

44. 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)

45. 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

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

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

48. 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

49. 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

50. 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

51. 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

52. 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

53. The benefits of CITES

54. 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

55. Partnerships

56. 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.

57. 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

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

59. CITES in the region

60. 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

61. Summary

62. 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

63. 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

64. 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

65. 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?