You are viewing our old site. See the new one here

go to IISDnet
CITES COP-11
 Photos and RealAudio of 14 April
 

On Friday, committees met throughout the day. Committee I reviewed proposals for amendments to Appendices I and II; Committee II discussed timber species, trade in bear specimens, and bushmeat; and the Budget Committee met in its first official session to discuss the 2000-01 budget.

Budget Committee: BUDGET FOR 2001-2002 AND THE MEDIUM TERM PLAN 2001-2005
Marzena Jakowska, CITES Secretariat, introduced the budget plan (Doc. 11.10.3.Rev.1). She said estimates for the first biennium are higher than agreed upon at COP-10 due to an increase in programme work, necessitating a 19% budget increase to finance current activities.
Jim Armstrong, Deputy Secretary General of CITES (left), explains some of the figures contained in the budget
View of the back of the ICAO Room, where the Budget Committee met.

Chair Stansell (right) added that a deficit for 2003 is looming if Parties do not increase contributions.

RealAudio excerpts

WWF interview on tigers

Ginette Hemley, Vice-President of Species Conservation, WWF, spoke with ENB writer Laura Ivers on the following topics:

The politics of tigers at COP-11, and what WWF hopes will be achieved.

WWF's action on the ground for tiger conservation

The demand for tiger products in the USA

CITES' technical and high-level political missions on tigers and its recommendation to apply trade sanctions against India

How to address the lack of resources to enforce conservation and combat poaching in India, what WWF is doing to help, and an innovative alternative of compensating villagers for losses of livestock caused by tigers

Miscellaneous

Willem Wijnstekers, CITES Secretary-General (on the left) is seen here talking with British delegates Jeremy Bell, Deputy Permanent Representative to UNEP (center) and Andy Tucker, in Conference Room One during the debate on bushmeat.
IN THE BREEZEWAYS
What was expected to be a routine Budget Committee discussion on the Convention's upcoming biennium programme turned to confusion as the Secretariat and delegates interpretation diverged on whether a COP-10 resolution to increase the budget and, consequently, Party contributions, was binding. Some considered the need to review budgetary commitments in light of new developments in the Secretariat's heavily loaded work programme and a review of its activities in the first phase of its mid-term plan. Many could not guarantee additional funding for new staff beyond 2002, whereas others were sympathetic to the increased demands for an expanded Secretariat to keep up with CITES growing membership. Although CITES is not subject to the current UN zero-growth policy, some foresee difficulties in justifying an increase in budgetary contributions to their governments.

© 2000, IISD. All rights reserved.

click to topBack to ENB's CITES-11 main page