CITES: Wildlife trade regulation

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www.cites.org
Life Sciences Symposium, WIPO, 26 August 2009
CITES Wildlife trade regulations Patent
Landscaping and Transfer of Technology under
Multilateral Environmental Agreements
Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
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What is CITES?
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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

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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
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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)
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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

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CITES

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

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CITES

• Species subject to CITES regulation are divided
  amongst three Appendices

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

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CITES-listed species
92

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

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CITES Technologies WIPO
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CITES WIPO
How could WIPO and the patent system help
mega-biodiversity countries conserve and use, in
a sustainable manner, their wildlife resources?
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Wildlife industry and tech-transfer
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Commodity speculation
Services/Drivers
Ivory
Hunting
Safaris, trophies, falconry, etc.
Souvenirs
Rain-sticks, shells, corals, etc.
Collections
Zoos, museums, botanical gardens, circus, etc.
Pets
Live specimens (reptiles, birds, ornamental fish)
Fashion
Leather industry, cosmetics, wool (vicunas),
furs, etc
Healthcare
Natural ingredients, medicinal plantsanimals
Housing
Timber (mahogany, ramin, cedar, etc)
Products Parts and derivatives
Food
Fisheries (Arapaima g.), caviar, meat industry
and game meat
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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)

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Succes stories
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1970s less than 5,000 vicunas
Today vicunas no longer at risk, fiber products
patented
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1970s survival of all 23 species at risk
Today 16 species no longer at risk
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Thank you

• Juan Carlos VasquezLegal officerCITES
  SecretariatGeneva, Switzerlandemail
  juan.vasquez_at_cites.orgwww.cites.org