Delegates moved slowly through the long agenda of the 77th meeting of the Standing Committee (SC) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), with big cats and elephants making their much-anticipated debut in the discussions.
By the third meeting day, delegates were already a day behind schedule. This prompted SC Chair Naimah Aziz to extend the day’s session by two hours and frequently remind delegates to keep their interventions brief and focused on the proposed recommendations.
With regards to the Big Cats Task Force, delegates considered the merits of a resolution on illegal trade in big cats, including a possible revision of Resolution 12.5 (Rev. CoP19) on conservation of and trade in tigers and other Appendix-I Asian big cat species to be applicable to all these species. While some parties noted the value of such a resolution, others expressed concern over potential negative impacts for individual species, as one resolution for all species could dilute efforts specific to individual cat species.
On Asian big cats, range states reported on the status of ongoing conservation and monitoring measures. Some expressed concern that reporting quality varies and accounts do not align with observations in some countries, pointing to limited implementation of CITES measures. The CITES Secretariat also reported on the missions carried out to facilities of concern keeping big cats in captivity in Czechia, Lao PDR, South Africa, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
On jaguars, delegates discussed the Terms of Reference for an intergovernmental platform, possibly including options for a joint initiative between CITES and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS); and for CITES and CMS to collaborate on the species, including by organizing a second range state meeting.
On elephants, the Secretariat presented a report showing that while illegal trade is still significant, the proportion of illegally killed elephants is generally declining. Everyone welcomed progress and the proposed revision of the African Elephant Action Plan.
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All ENB photos are free to use with attribution. For SC 77, please use: Photo by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth.
Morning Plenary
Delegates gather for the morning plenary
Wojciech Piwowarski, Poland
Keisuke Nakao, Japan
Thi Mai Trang Ha, Viet Nam
George Owoyesigire, Uganda
Blamah Sando Goll, Liberia
Somvang Phimmavong, Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Craig Hoover, Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Vannsereyvuth Sao, Cambodia
Sonja Meintjes, South Africa
Sarah Durant, Zoological Society of London
Afternoon Plenary
View of the dais during the afternoon plenary
Seydou Bari Sidibé, Guinea
Prasert Sornsathapornkul, Thailand
Avinash Basker, Environmental Investigation Agency UK
Mark Jones, Born Free
SC 77 Chair Naimah Aziz, US
Mathias Lörtscher, Switzerland
Doris Rodríguez Guzmán, Peru
Melanie Virtue, Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)
Anne St. John, US
Karen Wood, Panthera
Anna Wong, Singapore
Colman O'Criodain, WWF
Around the Venue
A side event was held titled 'Investing in Extinction: How the global financial sector profits from traditional medicine firms using threatened species'
A side event was held titled 'Enhanced responses to combat wildlife crime'
Manon Dené, Rebecca Regnery, and Sophie Nazeri, Humane Society International
Delegates speak informally at the start of the day
Delegates from Panama consult
Delegates from Nigeria consult
Delegates from India consult
Delegates speak informally
