CITES CoP 16 Debriefing

The 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP16) was held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 3 to 14 March 2013. This triennial World’s Wildlife Conference concluded with the adoption of more robust measures to protect existing and new species from over-exploitation through international trade.

Last month’s result showed 178 governments turning to CITES to ensure legal, sustainable and traceable trade in precious timber and forest products, with the Conference unanimously bringing hundreds of new timber species under CITES controls, along with a number of tortoises and turtles and a wide range of other plant and animal species. Five commercially valuable shark species and manta rays were also brought under CITES controls following a 2/3 majority vote. The member States declared the 3rd of March (date of the Convention’s adoption in 1973) as World Wildlife Day and accepted South Africa’s invitation to host the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to be held in 2016.

A debriefing on CITES CoP16 was organised by the Geneva Environment Network Secretariat and held in International Environment House II on Thursday 2 May 2013.

Agenda

10:15
Welcome and introduction
John SCANLON, Secretary-General, CITES Secretariat

10:20
Remarks on CITES CoP 16 by the Host Country
Natapanu NOPAKUN, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Thailand
Charlie GARNJANA-GOONCHORN, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Thailand

10:30
Outcomes of the CITES CoP 16
Senior regulatory, outreach and science staff of the CITES Secretariat

John Scanlon, Secretary-General, CITES Secretariat
David Morgan, Chief Scientific Services
Tom de Meulenaer, Scientific Support Officer
Marceil Yeater, Chief Legal Affairs & Trade Policy
Ben Janse van Rensburg, Chief, Enforcement Support

11:15
Question-and-answer session

11:45
Screening of the Film “Return to the Forest”
Produced by CanazWest Pictures Inc. and narrated by actor William Shatner

12:15
Light reception offered by the Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations in Geneva

More information and documents

CITES website: http://www.cites.org/eng/cop/index.php