CITES

CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 

Origin and Background

• Conceived: 1963 at International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) meeting​

• Entered into force: 1975 as the first global wildlife trade agreement​

• India’s ratification: 1976​

Key Features

• Nature: Voluntary international agreement between governments​

• Aim: Ensuring international trade in wild animals and plants doesn’t threaten their survival​

• Control mechanism: Licensing system for all import, export, and re-export activities​

• Legal status: Legally binding on parties but implemented through domestic legislation​

Organizational Structure

• Secretariat: Administered by UN Environment Programme (UNEP) at Geneva, Switzerland​

• Scientific support: IUCN provides scientific and technical services to CITES Secretariat​

• Membership: 185 parties (States or regional economic organizations)​

• Highest decision-making body: Conference of Parties (CoP)​

• CoP3 held in New Delhi in 1981​

• CoP20 scheduled in Samarkand, Uzbekistan​

CITES Appendices Classification

• Appendix I: Species threatened with extinction​

• Commercial trade generally prohibited​

• Examples: tigers, rhinos, African grey parrots, gorillas​

• Appendix II: Species not currently threatened but may become so without trade controls​

• Trade allowed under strict regulation with export permits​

• Includes “look-alike species”​

• Examples: American ginseng, lions, many corals​

• Appendix III: Species protected in at least one country seeking international assistance​

• Examples: kinkajous, hellbenders, walruses​

Species Coverage

• Total protection: Over 40,900 species​

• 6,610 animal species​

• 34,310 plant species​

Key Initiatives and Programs of CITES

• MIKE Programme: Established at 10th CoP (1997, Harare)​

• Site-based system monitoring illegal elephant killing​

• Covers African and Asian elephant ranges​

• Other initiatives:

• International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), 2010​

• CITES Tree Species Project, 2024​

Implementation in India

• Primary legislation: Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972​

• Supporting laws:

• Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992​

• Customs Act, 1962​

• Foreign Trade Policy​

• Enforcement authorities:

• Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)​

• State Wildlife Departments headed by Chief Wildlife Wardens​

• Customs officials at import/export points​

• Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), CBI, Police​

Recent Amendments (2021)

• CITES implementation: Enhanced provisions for implementing CITES obligations​

• Schedule restructuring: Reduced from 6 to 4 schedules​

• New Schedule IV specifically for CITES specimens​

• Management Authority: Designated for granting import/export licenses​

• Registration requirement: For live specimens of scheduled animals​

Current Developments

• CITES Standing Committee 78: Held February 2025 in Geneva​

• CoP20 preparations: Focus on financing and capacity building​

• India’s role: Active participant in enforcement and conservation efforts​

Database and Monitoring

• CITES Trade Database: Managed by UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC)​

• Annual reporting: Countries submit trade data for monitoring

Check : ENVIRONMENT NOTES