CITES - ENVIRONMENT
News: India’s unusual abstention in CITES vote on reopening ivory trade
What's in the news?
● Although
increasingly squeezed for space and support in a crowded land, the elephant
remains one of India’s most powerful cultural and religious symbols.
● A pioneer in banning even
the domestic trade in ivory in 1986, India has always been at the forefront of
global elephant conservation initiatives.
● That is why India’s decision not to vote against a proposal to re-open the international trade in ivory at the ongoing conference of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) surprised many.
CITES:
● CITES
is an international agreement that stands for the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
● It
was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 by the members of the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
● It
entered into force in July 1975. Currently, there are 184 parties (including countries or regional economic integration
organizations).
● The CITES Secretariat is
administered by UNEP (The United Nations
Environment Programme) and is located in Geneva, Switzerland.
● The
Conference of the Parties to CITES is the supreme decision-making body of the
Convention and comprises all its parties.
● CITES
is legally binding on its members.
● However, it cannot take
the place of national laws. It is in fact a
framework for all its members to adopt in their own domestic legislation. The
domestic legislation should ensure that CITES is implemented at the national
level
● Appendices I, II and III to the convention are lists of species afforded different levels or types of protection from over-exploitation.
Appendix I:
● It
lists species that are the most
endangered among cites-listed animals and plants.
● Examples
include gorillas, sea turtles, most lady slipper orchids, and giant pandas.
Currently 931 species are listed.
● They
are threatened with extinction and
cites prohibit international trade in specimens of these species except when
the purpose of the import is not commercial, for instance for scientific
research.
● In these exceptional cases, trade may take place provided it is authorized by the granting of both an import permit and an export permit (or re-export certificate).
Appendix II:
● It
lists species that are not necessarily
now threatened with extinction but that may become so unless trade is closely
controlled.
● Most
cited species are listed in this appendix, including american ginseng,
paddlefish, lions, american alligators, mahogany and many corals. Currently
34,419 species are listed.
● It
also includes so-called "look-alike species", i.e. species whose
specimens in trade look like those of species listed for conservation reasons.
● International
trade in specimens of appendix-II species may be authorized by the granting of
an export permit or re-export certificate.
● No import permit is
necessary for these species under CITES
(although a permit is needed in some countries that have taken stricter
measures than CITES require).
● Permits or certificates should only be granted if the relevant authorities are satisfied that certain conditions are met, above all that trade will not be detrimental to the survival of the species in the wild.
Appendix III:
● It
is a list of species included at the request of a party that already regulates trade in the species and that
needs the cooperation of other countries to prevent unsustainable or illegal
exploitation.
● Examples
include map turtles, walruses and cape stag beetles.
● Currently
147 species are listed.
● International trade in specimens of species listed in this appendix is allowed only on presentation of the appropriate permits or certificates.
Other Key features:
● Species
may be added to or removed from appendix I and II, or moved between them, only
by the conference of the parties.
● However,
species may be added to or removed from appendix III at any time and by any
party unilaterally.