JOHANNESBURG, September 24 (ANA) – The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) begins its triennial conference at the Sandton Convention Centre on Saturday and finishes on October 5.
Known as as CoP17, or the World Wildlife Conference, this is the first time CITES has met on the African continent since 2000.
Over 2500 representatives from more than 180 governments, inter-governmental organisations, indigenous peoples, non-governmental organisations, philanthropists, and businesses are expected to attend the conference. Over 250 media have also registered for #CoP17.
The meeting comes amid heightened international concern about the sustainability of wildlife resources upon which livelihoods, national economies, and regional security depend.
CITES is a legally binding agreement which aims to ensure that international trade in species of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
It does so by monitoring, listing, and regulating legal and sustainable wildlife trade and by combating illegal trade in wildlife. It currently regulates trade in over 35,000 species of wild animals and plants.
“The scope and coverage of the convention will be tested when the 182 parties to the convention meet in Johannesburg over the next fortnight,†said John E Scanlon, secretary general of the convention.
Parties will review the actions taken over the past three years, and map out what more needs to be done to end the surge in illegal wildlife trade and prevent unsustainable trade, said Scanlon.
“The stakes are high under CITES and intense and robust debates are to be expected. Decisions taken in Johannesburg will have a real and immediate on-the-ground impact.
“They will find their way into legislation, regulation, and operating practices across the globe and will directly affect when, where, and how wildlife and wildlife products can be traded. Decisions taken at CoP17 will affect wildlife and ecosystems, people, and economies,†he said.
On the eve of #CoP17, the South African government hosted a high level ministerial meeting on links between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the aims of CITES.
It focused on the challenges posed by illegal trade in wildlife and the opportunities presented by legal and sustainable trade, and the role of CITES in advancing the SDGs.
“Advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its vision of people, planet, and prosperity necessitates now more than ever that countries work together as a collective,†South African Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa said.
“This high level ministerial meeting provides a platform for us to have robust discussions and ultimately develop a common understanding on the role of CITES in helping us attain those SDG’s with a natural resource conservation focus,†Molewa said.
– African News Agency (ANA)
