Highlights for Thursday, 9 July 2009
The 58th Session of the Standing Committee (SC58) of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) entered its second to last day of deliberations in Geneva, Switzerland. The SC proceeded smoothly through the day’s agenda items, which focused on species trade and conservation.
Discussions on rhinoceroses, bigleaf mahogany and tigers were the highlights of the day’s deliberations. Many delegates expressed deep concern about the recent increase of poaching and illegal trade in rhinoceroses, and the Secretariat referred to the issue as the most pressing criminal activity facing CITES.
Peru outlined many domestic initiatives taken to fulfill SC57’s recommendations on its trade in mahogany, while TRAFFIC questioned recent developments in Peru.
On Asian big cats, the SC decided that the CoP mandate of convening a tiger trade enforcement meeting and the development of a conservation strategy workshop (Decision 14.70) could be achieved at the General Assembly of the Global Tiger Forum, scheduled to take place in February 2010.
