CITES Highlights its 2010 Actions on Tuna, Timber, Wildlife Crime, Etc.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Secretariat has issued a document of selected highlights from 2010, for the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity, stating that it delivered on core functions affecting species protection, biodiversity, etc.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
Some of the 2010 highlights include:
Regulating Atlantic Bluefin tuna. The Atlantic Bluefin tuna was marine species of the year. The Secretariat states that 2010 was a turning point in the way Atlantic Bluefin tuna, sharks and other marine species are managed and regulated by relevant international organizations. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and adopted a decision to develop a memorandum of understanding with CITES and INTERPOL adopted a resolution on the role of police in fighting environmental crime.
COP decisions on timber, snake trade, etc. CITES has made progress in advancing the implementation of key Conference of Parties (COP) decisions and resolutions, including decisions on the establishment of the African Elephant Fund, further clarification on the meaning of introduction from the sea, the saiga antelope, various timber species, and the Asian snake trade. A meeting is scheduled for April 2011, on knowledge management, e-permitting, enforcement, capacity-building and CITES' relationship with the International Tropical Timber Organization and the Fisheries and Aquaculture Organization.
Combating wildlife crime. CITES signed a letter of understanding to bring the International Consortium to Combat Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) into effect with the World Customs Organization, the World Bank, the International Criminal Police Organization-INTERPOL, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
COP session on biodiversity. CITES organized the Fifteenth session of the COP under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Doha, Qatar, which generally attracted publicity for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and resulted in many resolutions and decisions for the further implementation of the Convention. CITES participation at the COP 10 in Japan was recognized through several COP decisions opening up new opportunities for enhancing the implementation of CITES, particularly in developing countries.
The Secretariat concluded by saying that in 2011, the United Nations International Year of Forests, CITES looks forward to ensuring that no species of wild fauna or flora becomes or remains subject to unsustainable exploitation through international trade.