CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) seeks to control the trade in species of wild animals and plants that are, or may be, threatened with extinction as a result of international trade. CITES was drafted by IUCN - The World Conservation Union in 1963. The text of the Convention was affirmed at a meeting of representatives of 80 countries in Washington DC on March 3, 1973 and was enacted on July 1, 1975.
The Convention uses a permit system to regulate the import and export of species that are listed in Convention Appendices. Appendix I lists species that are now threatened with extinction and which may not be traded for primarily commercial purposes; however, scientific trade, captive breeding, and other limited uses are permitted under strict conditions. Species in Appendix II show potential to become threatened if their trade is not controlled. Appendix III contains species that individual countries have listed because they are under special management in that country and require the co-operation of other parties in the control of trade. Currently, CITES lists over 30,000 species of animals and plants.
CITES is an important line of defense against the threat posed to biodiversity by invasive species. As stated in Decision 10.54 of the 12th Conference of the Parties (COP) to CITES, signatories should “recognize that non-indigenous species can pose significant threats to biodiversity, and that fauna and flora species in commercial trade are likely to be introduced to new habitat as a result of international trade.”
The text of CITES does not specifically mention sustainability, as it was adopted in 1973, before the term had entered into common currency. However, CITES is tacitly concerned with issues of sustainable use inherent in the regulated trade of Appendix II species. The purpose of the Convention's Strategic Vision through 2005 is to ensure that no species of wild fauna or flora becomes or remains subject to unsustainable exploitation because of international trade.
Adopted at the 11th COP, the CITES Strategic Vision states, “Where uncertainty remains as to whether trade is sustainable, the precautionary principle will prevail as the ultimate safeguard.” The precautionary principle is a response to uncertainty, in the face of risks to health or the environment. It involves acting to avoid serious or irreversible potential harm, despite a lack of scientific certainty as to the likelihood or causation of that harm. The current review process to amend the CITES Appendices has recognized the increasing acceptance of the precautionary principle by the international community. The CBD includes the precautionary principle in its Preamble, and also in its programme of work on marine and coastal biodiversity.
The need for CITES to increase its synergies with the Convention on Biological Diversity and other agreements was identified at the ninth CITES COP in 1994. The CITES Secretariat has increased efforts to cooperate with other biodiversity-related conventions and enhance mutual understanding and cooperation with the Convention's technical partners.
Online resources:
CITES office of the European Commission
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