Syllabus: GS3/ Environment
In News
- The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) marks 50 years since it entered into force.
About
- Genesis: CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is a pioneering global agreement originally conceived in 1963 at a meeting of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
- Aim and Scope: CITES is a voluntary international agreement between governments, aiming to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
- It operates through a licensing system that regulates all import, export, and re-export of listed species and their parts or derivatives.
- Administration and Structure: The CITES Secretariat is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Geneva, Switzerland.
- As of 2024, there are 185 Parties (countries or regional organizations) to CITES; India ratified the Convention in 1976.
- While CITES is legally binding on its Parties, it does not replace national laws. Instead, each Party must implement CITES through its own domestic legislation.
Significance
- CITES was the first global agreement to address wildlife trade at an international level, providing a framework for cooperation to prevent over-exploitation and extinction due to trade.
- It remains a cornerstone of international efforts to protect biodiversity, with its effectiveness relying on the commitment and enforcement by its member Parties.
Key Initiatives
- Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) Programme: Adopted at the 10th CoP Harare (1997), this site-based system monitors trends in the illegal killing of elephants across Africa and Asia.
- International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC): Launched in 2010, ICCWC is a partnership between CITES and other organizations to support national law enforcement agencies in combating wildlife and forest crime.
- Strategic Vision 2021–2030: This framework guides CITES’ efforts to ensure wildlife trade supports global biodiversity goals, sustainable development, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
- CITES Tree Species Programme: Launched in 2024, focuses on improving the management and sustainable use of tree species listed under CITES.
Source: UN
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