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Highlights for Friday, 5 October 2018 David Morgan, CITES Secretariat, and Sevvandi Jayakody, Sri Lanka, officially unveil the CITES CoP18 logo Participants to the 70th meeting of the Standing Committee (SC) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) met for the final day of deliberations. SC Chair Carolina Caceres shepherded delegates through the remaining agenda items and reports of working groups.Highlights include the SC decisions: On Eels (Anguilla spp.), to encourage range states along with aquaculture, transit and consumer parties to build on the successes of existing enforcement efforts through cross-border as well as cross-agency collaboration and sharing of intelligence; On disposal of confiscated specimens, to forward to the 18th Conference of the Parties (CoP18) draft decisions calling, inter alia, on the Secretariat to collect information on existing networks and resources on the management of seized and confiscated live animals and make it available to parties; On Application of Article XIII in Nigeria, to agree that parties shall suspend commercial trade in specimens of the species Kosso Wood (P. erinaceus) from Nigeria until the party makes scientifically based non-detriment findings for trade in the species in the country to the satisfaction of the Secretariat and the Plants Committee Chair; and On engagement of rural communities, to note the report of the working group in particular the lack of consensus on the recommendations, asking CoP18 whether to extend the mandate of the working group on how to engage rural communities in CITES processes and report to CoP19. Parties and observers gave thanks to Chair Caceres and the Secretariat for managing such a large agenda.SC Chair Caceres concurred that it was one of the most difficult meetings to chair with a daunting agenda but gave much thanks to all participants for their flexibility and cooperation.She thanked the Secretariat, noting each person "does the work of five." The SC concluded with a look towards the next challenge ahead: CoP18 in Sri Lanka in 2019. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from the 70th Meeting of the CITES Standing Committee. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Morning Session View of the dais during the morning session Carolina Caceres, SC Chair, Canada Levente Kőrösi, Hungary Elly Hamunyela, Namibia José Funes, Mexico Sonja Meintjes, South Africa Jonathan Kolby, US He Jingxin, China Gerhard Adams, Germany Donald John Schubert, Animal Welfare Institute María Elena Sánchez Saldaña, Species Survival Network (SSN) Launching of CoP18 The CITES CoP18 website is officially launched  Daniel Fernando, Sri Lanka Sevvandi Jayakody, Sri Lanka Members of the CITES Secretariat with the Sri Lanka delegation responsible for CITES CoP18 Afternoon Session View of the dais during the opening session Ursula Moser, Switzerland João Loureiro, Portugal Mercedes Roman Nuñez, Spain Basile van Havre, Canada Roseline Mandisodza-Chikerema, Zimbabwe François Busson, EU Members of the Standing Committee The meeting is gavelled to a close Carolina Caceres, SC Chair, Canada, and David Morgan, CITES Secretariat Around the Venue Nadia Berny, CITES Secretariat (center), with the conference volunteers Delegates from Italy Delegates from Australia Delegates from Austria Delegates speak informally Delegates between sessions The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) team covering SC70: Tanya Rosen, Italy; Vijay Kolinjivadi, Canada; Mandy Rude, US; and Kiara Worth, South Africa

A display showcasing Russia's biodiversity outside the venue The 70th meeting of the Standing Committee (SC) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) reconvened for a marathon session on a rainy day in Rosa Khutor, Russian Federation. In the morning, participants dove into elephant issues. The CITES Secretariat emphasized the need to continue to ban domestic ivory markets, to consider unintended effects of bans, the need to effectively regulate online markets, and enforce existing laws. It also highlighted a drop in the number of ivory seizures in 2017, noting however that the level of poaching remains of concern, especially in central Africa. Several countries reported on national efforts and international collaborations to control trade in elephant specimens. The discussion on Asian Big Cats brought to the fore the emerging illegal trade in jaguar and their parts. Brazil and Peru noted that the Asian demand for tiger parts is driving a trade in jaguar parts, including in Bolivia. The afternoon and evening sessions continued with discussions, among others, on: the African lion, and the SC supporting the announcement by the CMS Secretariat to convene the Second Meeting of Range States for the Joint Convention on Migratory Species/CITES African Carnivores Initiative in November 2018; new resolutions on Strategic Vision and Establishment of Committees; annotations; and engagement with rural communities. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from the 70th Meeting of the CITES Standing Committee.   Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Morning Session Delegates during the morning session Ha Thi Mai Trang, Viet Nam Carolina Caceres, SC Chair, Canada Manmohan Singh Negi, India Roseline Mandisodza-Chikerema, Zimbabwe Mateus Mutemba, Mozambique Sarah Foster, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Yap Him Hoo, Singapore Kumara Wakjira, Ethiopia Elisante Ombeni Leguma, Tanzania Afternoon Session View of the dais during the afternoon session Elaine Kendall, UK Narcisse Lambert Mbarga, Cameroon Leigh Henry, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Mark Jones, Born Free Foundation Tae-Kwon Noh, Republic of Korea Steven Johnson, International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) Vanesa Tossenberger, Argentina Heather Noonan, League of American Orchestras Susan Lieberman, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Observer delegates raise their placards to join working groups Evening Session Delegates during the evening session Elly Hamunyela, Namibia Levente Kőrösi, Hungary Melissa Blue Sky, Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) Lise Jubinville, Canada Around the Venue Delegates in plenary before the start of the meeting Delegates from the EU discuss a document Interviews take place around the venue José Funes and Hesiquio Benítez Díaz, Mexico Delegates between sessions Delegates huddle informally during the meeting Delegates meet informally  

A visitor uses a virtual reality headset to experience some of the environmental diversity of Russia The 70th meeting of the Standing Committee (SC) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) continued addressing its lengthy agenda. Much of the morning was devoted to discussion on introduction from the sea (IFS) of sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis) by Japan and whether it has been adversely affected by commercial trade as described within Article 13 of the Convention. The SC sought positions by parties on remedial actions to be taken on technical matters on issuance of IFS certificates by Japan and whether the sei whale is being used for ‘primarily commercial purposes.’ The SC concluded that current IFS certificates for sei whale meat and blubber are being used partly for commercial purposes and are not in conformity with the Convention, and requested Japan take remedial legal actions, stop the departure of research vessels as well as the cessation of IFS certificates until SC71. SC70 then considered the illegal trafficking of ebony and rosewood from Madagascar and concerns that disposal of stockpiles could stimulate further illegal trade. During the lunch break, the Russian Federation hosted a side event on steps taken to conserve tigers, Amur and Persian leopards, and snow leopards. During the remainder of the day, the SC considered: trade in specimens bred in captivity or artificially propagated; and the application of Article XIII to the Democratic Republic of Congo and the implementation of SC recommendations regarding quota management and issuance of export permits; management of trade of African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) and illegal trade; and trade in Afrormosia (Pericopsis elata). IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from the 70th Meeting of the CITES Standing Committee.   Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Morning Plenary View of the dais during the morning plenary Carolina Caceres, SC Chair, Canada Basile van Havre, Canada Hiroshi Matsuura, Japan Valentin Ilyashenko, Russian Federation José Funes, Mexico Joseph Moumbouilou, Congo Ugo Eichler Vercillo, Brazil Sue Fisher, speaking on behalf of Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), Born Free Foundation, Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), Eurogroup for Animals, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Humane Society International (HSI), Japan Wildlife Conservation Society (JWCS), Japan Tiger and Elephant Fund (JTEF), Pro Wildlife, Species Survival Network (SSN), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDC); and World Animal Protection Klamon Haktouin, Chad, raises his placard to speak Aurélie Flore Koumba Pambo, Gabon Sonja Meintjes, South Africa Noro Vololona Harimisa, Minister of Justice, Madagascar Eugene Lapointe, IWMC World Conservation Trust César Vigil Molina, Honduras Afternoon Plenary View of the dais during the afternoon plenary Zhanqiang Wen, China Adrianne Sinclair, Chair, CITES Plants Committee Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim, Malaysia Shereefa Al-Salem, Kuwait Ji Wei, China Wildlife Conservation Association Ronald Orenstein, HSI Augustin Ngumbi Amuri, Democratic Republic of the Congo Mathias Lörtscher, Switzerland Tanya Sanerib, speaking on behalf of the CBD, Lewis and Clark Law School, WCS, WWF and NRDC Jonathan Kolby, US Around the Venue Delegates before the start of the session Nadia Berny, CITES Secretariat, speaks with Carolina Caceres, SC Chair, Canada Mathias Lörtscher, Switzerland, speaks with Sonja Meintjes, South Africa Delegates from Mozambique Delegates from Cameroon Delegates from the EU and Mexico meet informally Delegates speak informally between sessions Delegates from Singapore A photographic display of Russia's environmental diversity  

Delegates gather for the start of CITES SC 70 On Monday, Dmitry Kobylkin, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Russian Federation, welcomed participants to the 70th meeting of the Standing Committee (SC) of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Sochi, noting, inter alia, the Russian Federation’s efforts in expanding protection of special habitats for polar bears, tigers and other species. SC Chair Carolina Caceres noted the packed agenda, emphasizing optimism in considering the many detailed and technical documents in a timely manner. She highlighted the opportunity she had to review candidates for the CITES Secretary-General position and noted that the decision will be made by the UN Secretary-General. She also noted that for the first time the SC would have two evening sessions. The SC also discussed: financial matters, recognizing that the core trust fund is on track to deliver within approved budgets, but noted the delay of parties in paying annual contributions, emphasizing that this will have a negative impact on the Secretariat’s ability to fund daily operations; Lao PDR’s progress in the compliance with the Convention and a recommendation to “keep the momentum” by suspending commercial trade in specimens of the genus Dalbergia spp. until Lao PDR makes scientifically based non-detriment findings for trade in the relevant species; and the National Ivory Action Plans (NIAPs) process. Several working groups were struck, including on Rules of Procedure for the CoP, NIAPs, and Purpose Codes. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from the 70th Meeting of the CITES Standing Committee.   Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Opening and Morning Plenaryhttps://enb.iisd.org/attribution-guidelines View of the dais during the opening session Dmitry Kobylkin, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Russian Federation  Carolina Caceres, Standing Committee (SC) Chair, Canada Delegates during the opening session  Zhongze Wu, China Christine Dawson, US Sevvandi Jayakody, Sri Lanka  Øystein Størkersen, Norway  Mamadou Alpha Kane, UNEP Paul Murphy, Australia, raises his placard to speak  Abba Sonko, Senegal  João Loureiro, Portugal  Patrick Omondi, Kenya Juan Carlos Guzmán and Jessica Maria Gálvez-Durand Besnard, Peru Afternoon Plenary View of the room during the afternoon session Tadashi Sato, Japan Levente Kőrösi, Hungary Debbie Banks, speaking on behalf of the Environmental Investigation Agency UK (EIA-UK) and Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) Sousath Saya Koummane, Lao People's Democratic Republic Sarah Bagnall, New Zealand Parties raise their placards to join various working groups Bill Clark, Israel Samaila Sahailou, Niger A delegate from the EU Paul De Ornellas, speaking on behalf of the Zoological Society of London, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), EIA-UK, and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Charles Tumwesigye, Uganda Somkiat Soontornpitakkool, Thailand Observer groups raise their placards to join working groups Evening Welcome Ceremony Delegates attend a welcome ceremony held in the evening Traditional Russian songs are performed Around the Venue Delegates gather in the plenary hall for the start of the meeting Dmitry Kobylkin, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Russian Federation, speaks with Carolina Caceres, SC Chair, Canada Delegates from Chile Delegates review a document Delegates speak informally Carolina Caceres, SC Chair, Canada Materials on display around the venue Photographs of Russian flora decorate the walls of the venue  

The dais during the contact group on PFOA, L-R: Contact group Chair Jean-François Ferry (Canada), Sylvain Bintein (Austria), Valentina Bertato (EU), and Alexander Potrykus (EU) The fourteenth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC-14) met for its third day on Wednesday, 19 September 2018.Delegates worked in back-to-back contact groups throughout the day, again focusing on the technical work on POPRC-14’s agenda. Participants started the morning with work on the draft risk profile for perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts, and related compounds, completing their review of the draft risk profile and draft decision by midday.Following these discussions, delegates resumed their work on perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and related compounds, working to strengthen the Committee’s recommendation to the Conference of the Parties to list these substances in the Annexes to the Convention.In the evening, participants began work on the process for evaluating the alternatives, continued use, and need for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), its salts, and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOSF). IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided limited daily web coverage from POPRC-14. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report from the meeting. Delegates during the contact group discussions on PFOA Ajeng Arum Sari, Indonesia Martien Janssen, the Netherlands A view of the room The dais consulting during the contact group on PFHxS, L-R: Rikke Donchil Holmberg (Denmark), Trine Celius (Norway), Peter Dawson (New Zealand), and Christel Moræus Olsen (Norway) The delegation from China Kei Ohno Woodall, Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat Ed Cram, Australia POPRC members during the session, L-R: Agus Haryono (Indonesia), Amir Nasser Ahmadi (Iran), Helen Jacobs (Jamaica), Mineo Takatsuki (Japan), Caroline Wamai (Kenya), and Mantoa Makoena Clementina Sekota (Lesotho) Delegates take a water break during the day's proceedings Jianxin Hu, China