CITES

-[Link], PhD

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• Unsustainable trade in wildlife is one of the
central threats to biodiversity as it concerns
thousands of plant and animal species,
• can push them close to extinction.
• Wildlife trade is big business, estimated to be
worth billions of dollars annually.
• As wildlife and its products cross borders
between countries, extra efforts and
international cooperation are necessary to
regulate it and safeguard certain species
from over-exploitation.

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• CITES (Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)
is an international agreement between
governments.
• CITES was signed on 3 March 1973,
representatives of 80 countries in Washington
DC.
and entered into force on 1 July 1975
CITES has been in operation
for over 35 years

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The purpose of CITES is

 to ensure that wild fauna and flora in

international trade are not exploited
unsustainably

 to ensure that international trade in

specimens of wild animals and plants does
not threaten their survival.

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 CITES is an international convention that
combines wildlife and trade themes with a
legally binding instrument for achieving
conservation and sustainable use objectives

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• The Convention establishes an
international legal framework together
with common procedural mechanisms
for the strictest control of international
commercial trade in species threatened
with extinction, and for an effective
regulation of international trade in
others
• it provides a framework to be
respected by each Party,

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 This framework and common procedural
mechanism are now used to regulate and
monitor international trade in listed species
 For many years CITES has been among the
conservation agreements with the largest
membership, with now 175 Parties.

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 The text of the Convention outlines the basic
provisions for trade and obligations of each
Party, including:

– Trade procedures – Marking

and requirements
– Reporting
– Enforcement – Trade with non-
measures Parties
– Trade facilitation – Amendment of the
– special procedures Appendices

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 The Conference of the Parties adopts
Resolutions to guide the interpretation and
implementation of the Convention, and
Decisions to provide specific short-term
time-bound instructions
 82 Resolutions and 150 Decisions
are in effect

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• Species subject to CITES regulation are divided amongst
three Appendices

• Appendix I
• AppendixII
• Appendix III

"Species" me

IIIIIans any species, subspecies, or geographically separate

population thereof

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Appendix I
◦ Species threatened with
extinction, which are or
may be affected by trade
◦ International (commercial)
trade in wild-taken
specimens is generally
prohibited
◦ 655 animal species and 305
plant species

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Appendix II
– Species not necessarily
threatened with extinction, but
for which trade must be
controlled to avoid their
becoming so, and species that
resemble species already
included in Appendix II
– International trade is permitted
but
regulated
– 4,693 animal species and33798
plant species (97% of all listings)

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Appendix III
◦ Species for which a country is
asking Parties to help with its
protection
◦ International trade is permitted
but regulated (less restrictive
than Appendix II)
◦ 160 animal species and
380 plant species

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 CITES regulates the export, re-export, import
and introduction from the sea of live and dead
animals and plants and their parts and
derivatives (listed species only) through a system
of permits and certificates

 These permits or certificates may only be issued

if certain conditions are met and which must be
presented when leaving or entering a country

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 Collaboration and cooperation at the national level
are essential for CITES implementation
◦ CITES Authorities
◦ Resource sectors
◦ Customs
◦ Police
◦ Judiciary
◦ Affected stakeholders, including the private sector

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 Similar
Similar trade authorities Similar
requirements procedures

COMMON
PROCEDURAL
MECHANISMS
Similar rules
Similar
and
documents
regulations

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 CITES Structure

Conference of the Parties

Standing Animals
Committee Committee

Plants
Committee
Secretariat
FAO / IGOs
UNEP NGOs
private sector
etc.

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 CITES is an international agreement between
governments aimed at ensuring that no species
of wild fauna or flora is unsustainably exploited
for international trade
 The Convention establishes the international
legal framework and common procedural
mechanisms for an effective regulation of
international trade in Appendix-II and -III
species, and for the strictest control of
international trade in Appendix-I species
 Inter-agency and inter-sector collaboration is
essential for the effective implementation of
CITES

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 CITES regulates international trade in wild fauna
and flora listed in its Appendices on the basis of a
system of permits and certificates which are
issued when certain conditions are met, and
which must be presented when leaving and
entering a country
 For Appendix-II and –III species, international
trade is permitted but regulated, and for
Appendix-I species, international (commercial)
trade in wild-taken specimens is generally
prohibited
 The Conference of the Parties is the ultimate
decision-making body in CITES

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 Trade should be legal, sustainable
and traceable
Legal trade can be beneficial for conservation
of wild species, and for livelihoods

Illegal trade can pose a serious risk to the

conservation of wild species

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CITES IMPLEMENTATION IN NEPAL

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Nepal signed in CITES, 12 June 1967
Participated in CITES meetings and conventions
Playing active role in control of the illegal trade of
endangered species and their sustainable
utilization.
Laws supporting CITES implementation
 National park and wildlife conservation act, 2029
 Forest Act, 2049
 Environment Protection Act, 2053
 Import-Export (Control) Act, 2013
 CITES Resolution, 2058
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 Vascular plants – One hundred thirty-
nine
species of plants
two species of orchids namely,
Paphiopedilum insigne and
Paphiopedilum
venustum in Appendix I

 132 in Appendix II; five

species namely, Cycas pectinata, Gnetum
montanum, Meconopsis regia,
Podocarpus
neriifolius, and Tetracentron sinense in
Appendix III

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Mammals - Sixty-six species (28 species in
Appendix I; 14 species in Appendix II; 24
species in Appendix III (Annex 2.8)
Birds - One hundred and twenty-eight species
(16 species in Appendix I; 95 species in
Appendix
II; 17 species in Appendix III (Annex 2.7)
Reptiles - Eleven species in total.
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Plant committee- 1. management committee
( DNPWC)
2. Scientific committee
(Natural history Museum)

Animal committee-1. . Management committee

(Department of forest)
2. Scientific committee)
(Department of plant
resources)
 Government Offices related with CITES
 Department of national parks and wildlife
conservation
 Department of Forest
 Department of Plant resources
 Natural History Museum
 Nepal Army
 Nepal Police
 Revenue administration
 Custom
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