Highlights and images for 4 December 2025

The first part of the closing plenary took up much of the business on Thursday, as delegates from both committees of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) came together in one room to adopt decisions at the twentieth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP20).

Want to dig deeper into today's talks? Read the full Earth Negotiations Bulletin daily report.

Despite the almost overwhelming number of agenda items to consider, the assembled Chairs moved quickly and efficiently, ticking off one decision after another. CoP Chair Alisher Salomov (Uzbekistan) underlined to delegates that the next “two decisive days will set the direction of global wildlife governance for years to come.”

Despite the rapid pace, some contentious proposals returned to the fore. The proposal to list sea cucumbers under Appendix II, with an additional 24-month delay to implementation, was once again rejected after a reopened debate and secret ballot. One species of tarantula—the Grammostola rosea— was listed after its look-alikes were removed from a proposal.

Tajikistan's proposed amendment to uplist the striped hyena to Appendix II—noting this would enable range states to gather more data on trade impacts—was also reopened and, this time, adopted by consensus. Several parties who reopened debate argued for a more proactive approach to conservation; or, in the words of one, that “absence of [species data] does not mean absence of risk.”

Although there remain several items to consider, the assembled Chairs seemed enthusiastic that work would be completed in time. Delegates will reconvene on Friday for the final closing plenary session, which will continue to review listing proposal amendments, as well as final remarks from Chairs and dignitaries.

Throughout the day and into the evening, delegates were able to attend side events on a variety of topics, including:

• Ensuring legality and sustainability of the live wild animal trade in Central Asia;
• CITES and musical instruments;
• Deepwater Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras: the need for trade, conservation and attention; and
• A celebration of the life of Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE.