Highlights and images for 5 December 2025

As mist enveloped Samarkand on the final day of the twentieth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP20), delegates convened in plenary to unhesitatingly accept the recommendations of Committee I—for all but two listing proposals.

The first concerned guggul, a critically endangered shrub in Pakistan, India, and Oman that is prized for traditional medicine and incense. After concerns over enforcement led to the proposed listing on Appendix II being rejected by Committee I, Pakistan suggested a new annotation to exclude finished products ready for retail trade. By a secret ballot vote, the amended proposal was enthusiastically adopted by the CoP.

The other matter reopened for discussion concerned the transfer of Parlatore's podocarp, an evergreen native to Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru, from Appendix I to Appendix II. This proposal was likewise rejected in Committee I. After range states revised it to include a zero export quota for wild-taken specimens traded for commercial purposes, the CoP adopted it by consensus.

With that, the main business of the CoP was done, and all ears awaited the announcement of the time and venue of the next regular meeting of the CoP in 2028. When Panama offered to host CoP21, delegates applauded at the prospect of returning to the nation that so graciously hosted CoP19 in 2022.

Shortly after, the whole room leapt to its feet to give Committee I Chair Mathias Lörtscher (Switzerland) recognition on "the last day of his working life" for having chaired countless CITES committees over many decades. He was lauded for his “legendary calm,” “creative compromises,” and “a sense of humour that reminded us, despite the complexity of our work, that we are all human and working toward the same goal: conservation.” If they were to conduct a CITES Significant Chair Review, a delegate said of Lörtscher, the conclusion would be simple: “Best practice identified, strongly recommended for wider adoption."

In closing statements, many parties and observers expressed appreciation for decisions taken at the CoP, especially on sharks and rays, and called for strong momentum on implementation and the means to enable it—especially because, as one delegate noted, “even the budget increase agreed by the CoP is insufficient to accomplish all the mandated work.”

CITES Secretary-General Ivonne Higuero, in closing remarks, thanked the government of Uzbekistan for its exceptional hospitality and warmly commended the work of parties, Secretariat staff, the interpreters, and “everyone working behind the scenes” at CoP20, noting the meeting was proof of “multilateralism in action.” She called for carrying forward the spirit of Samarkand—one of cooperation, respectful dialogue, and shared responsibility—as delegates return home to continue their work to ensure that “species thrive, ecosystems flourish, and future generations inherit a planet rich in biodiversity.”

CoP Alternate Chair Alisher Salomov (Uzbekistan) noted that ancient Samarkand was a hub for scholars, artists, philosophers, religious leaders, intellectuals, and scientists from all over the known world. He said this legacy had been renewed through over 3,000 delegates from 180 countries coming to CITES. 

Noting that the world has never been so interconnected as it strives toward a common goal, he reminded everyone that “nature transcends borders,” and gaveled the meeting to a close at 11:47 a.m.