Highlights and images for 21 November 2022

Photo by ANCOT/UNEP Vanishing Treasures

If some delegates returned refreshed from a weekend that involved boating on Gatún lake, or looking for Panama’s abundant wild animals and birds, others seemed weary from late-night work to advance agenda items. Several rested to recover from COVID-19 symptoms.

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

As the second week of the 19th Meeting of the CITES Conference of the Parties (CITES CoP19) began, Committee I continued its consideration of listing proposals. Namibia’s proposal to transfer the Namibian population of southern white rhinoceros from Appendix I to Appendix II was accepted with an amendment to allow trade in live animals for in-situ conservation purposes, within the species’ natural and historical range in Africa. The US proposal to transfer the Aleutian cackling goose from Appendix I to Appendix II, highlighting its “remarkable recovery,” was welcomed by many parties. Singapore’s proposal to transfer the straw-headed bulbul from Appendix II to Appendix I, given the species has experienced a rapid decline in population across Southeast Asia, was agreed by consensus with a 12-month delay.

A view of Committee I from the dais perspective

Vincent Fleming, UK, Chair of Committee I, calls for a minute of silence to show respect to the victims of the earthquake that struck Indonesia on 20 November.

In Committee II, Asian big cats, rhinoceroses, pangolins, jaguars, seahorses, and the Big Cats Task Force were some of the issues discussed. Committee II continued meeting in an evening session to make up for delays.

Working groups on CITES and forests, as well as the budget working group, met on the sidelines and during meal breaks.

Many side events took place, including on:

Participation of local communities in the management of protected areas;
Digital CITES Permitting; and
Aquatic species listed in the CITES Appendices.

Participants during the side event on Digital CITES Permitting

All ENB photos are free to use with attribution. For CITES CoP19 please use: Photo by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera

Committee I

David Morgan, CITES Secretariat, and Vincent Fleming, UK, Chair of Committee I

Agung Nugroho and Amir Hamidy, Indonesia

Doudou Sow, Senegal

Tanyaradzwa Mundoga and Roseline Mandisodza-Chikerema, Zimbabwe

Wei Ji and Rui Su, China

Skumsa Ntshanga, South Africa

Siri Öckerman, Sweden, and Gerald Benyr, Austria

Kabelo Senyatso, Botswana

Colgar Sisamu Sikopo, Namibia

Augustin Ngumbi Amuri, Democratic Republic of Congo

Patrick Omondi, Kenya

(L-R) Svein Fossa, Ornamental Fish International, Sandy Trautwein, Gavrielle Kirk-Cohen, and Dalia Conde, Species360

Happy UK delegates after learning England beat Iran 6-2 in the World Cup

Deborah Hahn, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and Buddy Baker, Association of Southeastern Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Rima Jabado, Elasmo Project, and Matthew Gollock, Zoological Society of London

Committee II

Delegates contemplate the countdown shown on-screen by Rhedyn Ollerenshaw, Australia, Chair of Committee II, in an attempt to remind them to keep their interventions concise.