Cites: Wildlife trade regulation

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

• www.cites.org

• CITES: Wildlife trade regulations
• Patent Landscaping and Transfer of Technology under Multilateral Environmental Agreements

• Life Sciences Symposium, WIPO,
• 26 August 2009

What is CITES?

What is CITES?

• CITES is an MEA that combines wildlife and trade themes with a legally binding instrument for achieving conservation and sustainable use objectives

What is CITES?

• CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
• It is also known as the Washington Convention, as it was concluded in Washington D.C.
• Scientifically based and enforcement oriented
• Targeted, focused and with implementation in mind.

• CITES has been in operation for over 33 years

What is CITES?

• …is relevant to an ever-increasing number of Parties

• 173

• Most recent new Parties:
• Cape Verde (2005) Serbia (2006) Montenegro (2007) Solomon Islands (2007) Kyrgyzstan (2007) Oman (2008)

• CITES, trade and property

• CITES regulates commercial and non-commercial
• international trade (export, import, re-export, introduction from the sea)
• in (wild-taken and produced) specimens (live/dead, parts/derivatives) of listed animal and plant species
• through a system of permits and certificates which are issued only when certain conditions are met (specimen is legally acquired; trade is not detrimental to survival of species), and which must be presented when leaving and entering a country

CITES

• CITES documents are standardized for:
• Format
• Language & terminology
• Information
• Duration of validity
• Issuance procedures
• Clearance procedures

CITES

• Species subject to CITES regulation are divided amongst three Appendices

• I

• II

• III

• CITES-listed species

• Appendix I
• Species threatened with extinction
• Not to be used for primarily commercial purposes
• Almost 530 animal species and some 300 plant species
• International trade is generally prohibited

• 3%

• 92%

• CITES-listed species

• Appendix II
• Species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but for which trade must be controlled to avoid their becoming threatened
• International (commercial) trade is permitted but regulated
• More than 4,400 animal species and more than 28,000 plant species

CITES Technologies & WIPO

• CITES & WIPO

• How could WIPO and the patent system help mega-biodiversity countries conserve and use, in a sustainable manner, their wildlife resources?

Wildlife industry and tech-transfer

• Live specimens (reptiles, birds, ornamental fish)

• Fisheries (Arapaima g.), caviar, meat industry and game meat

• Food

• Healthcare

• Leather industry, cosmetics, wool (vicunas), furs, etc

• Fashion

• Collections

• Rain-sticks, shells, corals, etc.

• Safaris, trophies, falconry, etc.

• Hunting

• Timber (mahogany, ramin, cedar, etc)

• Products
• Parts and derivatives

• Natural ingredients, medicinal plants&animals

• Zoos, museums, botanical gardens, circus, etc.

• Commodity speculation

• Souvenirs

• Services/Drivers

• Pets

• Ivory

• Housing

• CITES-tech & traditional knowledge

• Scientific research and traditional knowledge (risk assessments, population surveys, species monitoring by local communities, etc)
• Production systems (wild, captive-breeding, ranching, artificial propagation, hybrids, genetics, etc)
• Information systems (e-permitting, communications, market information)
• Control systems (timber and fish industries tracking systems, microchips, satellites, DNA profiling, forensic technologies e.g. species identification)

Succes stories

• 1970’s =less than 5,000 vicunas

• Today = vicunas no longer at risk, fiber products patented

• 1970’s = survival of all 23 species at risk

• Today = 16 species no longer at risk

Thank you

• Juan Carlos Vasquez Legal officer CITES Secretariat Geneva, Switzerland email: [e-mail] www.cites.org