CITES Meetings: the Conventions of the Parties (CoPs)

A viable and working convention for conservation

Definitions

CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
CoP: Conference of the Parties
Appendix I, II, III: Species covered by CITES are listed in three Appendices, according to the degree of protection they need.
CITES Parties: States that have agreed to be bound by the Convention ('joined' CITES) are known as Parties.

Elephant ivory confiscated from poachers.
© WWF-Canon / Martin Harvey

Since CITES came into force, the convention has banned international trade in rhino horn and helped to ensure that rhinos continue to survive in the wild.

CITES also banned international trade in ivory in 1989 to combat a massive illegal trade in ivory which caused dramatic declines in elephant populations throughout most of Africa in the 1970s and 1980s.

The ban was successful in eliminating some of the major ivory markets, leading to reduced poaching and allowing some populations to recover.

Other measures adopted by CITES have led to improvements in the management and regulation of trade in a myriad of other species such as sturgeon caviar, some species of sharks, seahorses, crocodiles.

What species are already on CITES lists?

Around 5,000 species of animals and 25,000 species of plants are protected by CITES. To see the full list visit the CITES web site at: http://www.cites.org