Agenda item 20.1: Consolidation of Resolutions Relating to Appendix-I Species

The Secretariat has prepared a document proposing two sets of draft consolidated resolutions relating to Appendix I species: Resolutions pertaining to hunting trophies of Appendix I species and Resolutions pertaining to the conservation of specific Appendix I species. The Secretariat prepared this document in response to Decision 13.21, which directs the Secretariat to prepare a consolidated resolution concerning the enforcement of trade controls for all Appendix I species, in consultation with the Standing Committee, for CoP14. This was first suggested in CoP13 Document 26 Great apes in order to facilitate a more strategic approach on enforcement issues concerning Appendix I species.

The first draft consolidated resolution in Document 20.1 merges five existing resolutions, pertaining to hunting quotas for Appendix I species: two general resolutions with guidance to the Parties, and three specific resolutions pertaining to hunting of leopards, markhor, and black rhinoceros.

The second draft consolidated resolution merges four existing resolutions pertaining to the conservation and trade in African and Asian rhinoceroses, Tibetan antelope, tigers and other Asian big cats, and great apes.

WWF position OPPOSE
For WWF's full position, including the rationale and further information, please see page 29 in WWF Positions CITES COP14. Download PDF (3.6 MB | 48 pages)

Why is WWF opposing this agenda item?

  • The document proposes text to consolidate the resolutions dealing with the conservation of and trade in African and Asian rhinoceroses, Tibetan antelope, tigers and other Asian big cat species, and great apes. These issues affect different range states, and address different issues and threats, which would not benefit from the suggested consolidation. WWF believes that there is no strategic value to this consolidation and recommend that the Parties reconsider Decision 13.21.
  • Many governments - whether range States or others - have successfully used these species-specific resolutions (particularly those on tigers, great apes, and rhinos) to stimulate national legislation, and some donor governments have used them to stimulate the provision of significant funds for the conservation of these species in the wild. A consolidation downplaying the importance of the actions necessary at the species-level will threaten these, and threaten the potential for future similar conservation action.
  • While the Secretariat has done a good job to produce a merged, consolidated resolution, we believe such a merger loses focus rather than improves strategic approach, particularly in the case of the merger in Annex 3 of the species-specific resolutions for rhinoceroses, Tibetan antelope, tigers and other Asian big cats, and great apes. CITES is a species-specific treaty, dealing with listed species. In the case of these Appendix I species, the resolutions are necessary to address problems unique to that species, or unique to a specific range of countries or geographic areas. These issues cannot be adequately addressed by a combined resolution.
  • WWF recognizes that there could have been better progress on many of the recommendations in these important resolutions. However, the conservation of these endangered species and control of illegal trade in their parts and products present some of the greatest conservation challenges we face today. In the case of tigers and other Asian big cats, for example, Res. Conf. 12.5 brings attention to the serious problems of illegal trade in tiger parts and products, and focuses action at the national level on several key specific problems. Work is now ongoing work to follow up on those activities. More work and attention are needed to address these serious problems - and consolidating this resolution into a larger document could run the risk of reducing attention to these serious issues.

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