IELP distributes comprehensive CITES analysis

On the first day of working meetings of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), IELP distributed to the 175 Parties a comprehensive analysis of the Convention that examines the core objectives of the treaty in the context of some of the most important provisions of the Convention.

The paper, “Back to Basics: An Analysis of the Object and Purpose of CITES and a Blueprint for Implementation,” is an important analysis of the future of the Convention as the Parties are at a crossroads regarding the future of the Convention: While the object and purpose of the Convention is clear—to prevent overexploitation of species due to trade—some Parties and interest groups, are actively working to ensure that implementation of CITES facilitates and promotes legal wildlife trade.

“Back to Basics” provides the historical context of this debate and argues that the proponents of facilitating trade misinterpret many of the key provisions of the Convention. 

Related Content

• Back to Basics: An Analysis of the Object and Purpose of CITES and a Blueprint for Implementation
• CITES Secretariat