CITES conference kicks off
Yesterday marked the beginning of the 19th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP19) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
At the conference, which will take place in Panama until 22 November, Namibia’s proposal to down-list its white rhino population will also be up for discussion.
Namibia made this proposal in an effort to facilitate trade in live animals for in-situ conservation and trophy hunting.
The CITES secretariat has already made a recommendation that the parties should adopt the proposal.
According to a CITES press release, as part of CoP19, the International Consortium on Combatting Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) will also host a number of high-profile events to draw the attention of the parties to activities conducted, successes achieved and lessons learnt over the past few years.
ICCWC will convene the fourth global meeting of wildlife enforcement networks on 21 and 22 November.
“Representatives from established and developing networks from around the world - including wildlife law enforcement officers, international organisations and other relevant organisations - will meet to share experiences and consider measures to further strengthen and promote their operational effectiveness, and enhance cooperation and interaction,” the statement said.
According to CITES secretary-general Ivonne Higuero, parties will – over the next two weeks - discuss a “wide variety of critical matters and make important decisions to conserve and regulate the international trade in endangered species”.
“Despite considerable efforts, wildlife crime continues to pose a serious challenge and we must persist by tackling it as an utmost priority. The criminal groups involved must be brought to justice,” she said.
CoP19 will also address enforcement matters and focus on species affected by wildlife crime.
“Through ICCWC, we will continue to work relentlessly, building capacity, providing support and enhancing our tools and services to assist authorities to maximise the impact of their efforts.”
Namibia’s delegation is led by the environment ministry’s executive director, Teofilus Nghitila.
Adoption of proposals requires a two-third voting majority of the parties present at the meeting.
At the conference, which will take place in Panama until 22 November, Namibia’s proposal to down-list its white rhino population will also be up for discussion.
Namibia made this proposal in an effort to facilitate trade in live animals for in-situ conservation and trophy hunting.
The CITES secretariat has already made a recommendation that the parties should adopt the proposal.
According to a CITES press release, as part of CoP19, the International Consortium on Combatting Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) will also host a number of high-profile events to draw the attention of the parties to activities conducted, successes achieved and lessons learnt over the past few years.
ICCWC will convene the fourth global meeting of wildlife enforcement networks on 21 and 22 November.
“Representatives from established and developing networks from around the world - including wildlife law enforcement officers, international organisations and other relevant organisations - will meet to share experiences and consider measures to further strengthen and promote their operational effectiveness, and enhance cooperation and interaction,” the statement said.
According to CITES secretary-general Ivonne Higuero, parties will – over the next two weeks - discuss a “wide variety of critical matters and make important decisions to conserve and regulate the international trade in endangered species”.
“Despite considerable efforts, wildlife crime continues to pose a serious challenge and we must persist by tackling it as an utmost priority. The criminal groups involved must be brought to justice,” she said.
CoP19 will also address enforcement matters and focus on species affected by wildlife crime.
“Through ICCWC, we will continue to work relentlessly, building capacity, providing support and enhancing our tools and services to assist authorities to maximise the impact of their efforts.”
Namibia’s delegation is led by the environment ministry’s executive director, Teofilus Nghitila.
Adoption of proposals requires a two-third voting majority of the parties present at the meeting.
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