The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
Adoption, structure and financing
On 3 March 1973, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was opened for signature in Washington and entered into force on 1 July 1973. CITES is a multilateral convention intended to protect endangered species of wild fauna and flora by regulating international trade in these species. At present, it has 183 states as parties, plus the European Union. This includes all states which are members of the United Nations, except Andorra, North Korea, Micronesia, Haiti, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, South Sudan, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Turkmenistan and Tuvalu. The activities of the Convention are financed by contributions from the parties and by voluntary external contributions.
Given that the trade in wild animals and plants crosses borders between countries, CITES aspired to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. It was, therefore, drafted and adopted in order to bring together almost the entire global community in the attempt to protect endangered species by restricting trade therein. In this context, CITES regulates international trade in specimens of species of wild fauna and flora, i.e. export, re-export and import of live and dead animals and plants and of parts and derivatives thereof, based on a system of permits and certificates which can be issued if certain conditions are met and which have to be presented before consignments of specimens are allowed to leave or enter a country.
Regarding the structure of CITES, the following schema depicts its organisational form. Briefly, the CITES Secretariat has a co-ordinating, advisory and servicing role fundamental for the working of the Convention.
The Conference of the Parties (CoP) is convened every two to three years and considers proposals to amend the Appendices, review the implementation of CITES and progress made and makes recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the Convention.
The CoP recommendations may take the form of Resolutions or Decisions. Resolutions are generally intended to provide long-standing guidance while Decisions are mostly directed to a specific body of CITES (e.g. Animals Committee, CITES Secretariat) and are designed to be implemented by a specified deadline. Both instruments are important tools for the development of the Convention, but are not legally binding unless incorporated into new legal texts as is usually the case in the EU when new Commission Regulations are adopted/amended.
