Highlights and images for 17 November 2022

Discussions continued apace on Thursday, with observer groups and parties alike making passionate interventions for the inclusion of certain species in the Convention. Some even deployed a charm offensive: delegates were seen walking to sessions holding tiny hippopotamus dolls or cumbersome stuffed sharks, the Requiem family of which came under a vote for inclusion in the Convention. While Committee II dealt with many elephant-related agenda items, Committee I delegates engaged in sometimes contentious discussions on species proposal listings, many of which required votes to conclude, and which continued well into the evening.

Want to dive deeper? Read the full Earth Negotiations Bulletin daily report.

In Committee I:

• The proposal to include requiem sharks went through three voting sessions with the original proposal ultimately voted on as amended by proponents, and eventually adopted;
• Hammerhead sharks were proposed by consensus for inclusion in Appendix II; and
• The proposals to include Cumaru, trumpet trees and pod mahoganies in Appendix II were also successful.

In Committee II, parties considered the resolution on the closure of domestic ivory markets; review of the National Ivory Action Plan process; definition of the term "appropriate and acceptable destinations"; trade in live African elephants; and international trade in live African elephant specimens.

Throughout the day, Indigenous craftspeople from across Panama presented art, sculpture, jewellery, and clothing for sale in the venue’s lunch area, showcasing the diversity of their craft and of the country’s culture and folklore. 

Participants also met for side events across the venue to discuss national initiatives and international issues. These included, among others,

• Scaling up action for pangolins in Kenya;
• A proposal on including hippopotamus under the auspices of Appendix II of the Convention;
• A discussion on including the Thelenota sea cucumber under the Convention;
• The trade of songbirds, including the White-rumped Shama and Straw-headed Bulbul; and
• Restoring viable and ecologically functional African carnivores through a joint CITES-CMS initiative.