The rainy season’s clouds yielded to a hot tropical sun as the nineteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP19) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) convened in the morning in Panama City, Panama. Warmly welcoming participants, Milciades Concepción, Minister of Environment of Panama, expressed his country's pride at hosting CoP19, which he called the “CoP of the Americas”. He noted that CITES had not met for a CoP in the region in 20 years, and recalled the need to ensure that initiatives and conventions coordinate between themselves to preserve both biodiversity and humanity.
Ivonne Higuero, Secretary-General, CITES, noted that it was “fitting” that the CoP took place in the same period as other meetings on wetlands, biodiversity, and climate change. She stressed that 52 amendment proposals are among the crucial issues to be discussed, as well as issues of representation and engagement with Indigenous peoples, the relations between wildlife crime and habitat degradation, and increased risks of exposures to zoonoses.
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José Gabriel Carrizo, Vice President of Panama, on behalf of President Laurentino Cortizo, welcomed delegates to his country and declared CoP19 officially open. Delegates enjoyed a series of song, video, and dance performances showcasing the natural and cultural splendors of Panama.
During the opening plenary, CoP19 participants addressed administrative and procedural issues. They also discussed proposed amendments to the Rules of Procedure.
In the afternoon, regional groups convened to prepare for the discussions in Committee I and II of the CoP during the following days.
All ENB photos are free to use with attribution. For CITES COP19 please use: Photo by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera
Plenary
The dais during the opening ceremony
Milciades Concepción, Minister of Environment, Panama
Participants listen to the remarks from Milciades Concepción, Minister of Environment, Panama
Sonja Leighton-Kone, Acting Deputy Executive Director, UNEP
Ivonne Higuero, Secretary-General, CITES (center), and Milciades Concepción, Minister of Environment, Panama (right), thank José Gabriel Carrizo, Vice President of Panama (left), for his presence at CITES CoP19
Participants applaud following the welcoming addresses
A local singer performs following the welcoming speeches
Panamanian model parade at the opening of CITES CoP19
Panamanian cultural performance for delegates
Sonja Leighton-Kone, Acting Deputy Executive Director, UNEP, and Ivonne Higuero, Secretary-General, CITES, share a moment during the Panamanian cultural performance
Musicians perform throughout the opening ceremony
A plenary session followed the opening ceremony
Carolina Cáceres, Standing Committee Chair
Aurélie Flore Koumba Pambo, Plants Committee Chair
Juan Carlos Vásquez, CITES Secretariat, and Shirley Binder, Panama
Anne Larigauderie, Executive Secretary, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), and Robert Spaull, IPBES Secretariat
Delegates from Hungary in informal consultations
The delegation from Burkina Faso
Press Conference
The dais during the press conference
Rhedyn Ollerenshaw, Australia, Chair of Committee II
Diana Laguna, Vice Minister of Environment, Panama
David Whitbourn and Ivonne Higuero, CITES Secretariat
Vincent Fleming, UK, Chair of Committee I
The media during the event
Around the Venue
Members of the Secretariat before the start of plenary
L-R: Maribel Gamallo, Panama Conference Service; Milciades Concepción, Minister of Environment, Panama; and Diana Laguna, Vice Minister of Environment, Panama
Delegates from Cameroon, The Gambia, and Suriname
Milciades Concepción, Minister of Environment, Panama, and Ivonne Higuero, Secretary-General, CITES
The local media at the start of CITES CoP19
