23 November 2025, Samarkand — Ministers, international organization heads, and leading experts from around the world gathered in Samarkand for a High-Level Dialogue titled “Elevating the Strategic Impact of CITES CoP20: From Policy to Practice – Monitoring, Funding, and Action for Regulated Wildlife Trade.”

Organized by the Government of Uzbekistan, in partnership with the CITES Secretariat and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the dialogue set the stage for the 20th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP20), held in Samarkand from 24 November to 5 December 2025.

The High Level Dialogue brought together ministers and senior representatives from Central Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and beyond to strengthen the links between policy and practice in the governance of international wildlife trade, promote innovative financing solutions, and highlight successful regional and global approaches to species conservation, all of which have the potential to drive bolder and stronger outcomes from CITES CoP20.

“This agenda is not a formality - it is a call to act together. The challenges we face demand urgent, practical and coordinated action. Illegal wildlife trade remains one of the largest criminal markets, ranking directly after the trafficking of drugs, arms and human trafficking in terms of global scale and impact. Recent World Wildlife Crime Report (2024) indicates that cases of illegal trade across 162 countries, affecting nearly 4000 species of flora and fauna, including 3250 species listed under CITES. Authorities seized more than 13 million individual items.” said H.E. Mr. Aziz Abdukhakimov, Advisor to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Environment – Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change. “ I call upon all delegates to actively engage, in a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect. Our shared success will depend on our ability to work together toward decisions that strengthen global wildlife protection.”

Ms. Ivonne Higuero, CITES Secretary-General said: “Innovative financing solutions are key to securing the future of wildlife and ecosystems. As the GEF prepares its ninth replenishment, we urge parties to scale up investments addressing unsustainable wildlife trade and integrate species-based conservation into broader ecosystem projects. Funding must drive action by engaging local communities, mainstreaming conservation, and improving coordination across sectors. By tapping into mechanisms like conservation trust funds, payments for ecosystem services, and nature-linked finance models, we can realize a world where all international wildlife trade is legal and sustainable.”