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16 November 2022. Panama City – South Africa submitted COP19 Document 12 for consideration and discussion during the morning session of Committee II.
Initiative
“South Africa proposes the preparation of a periodic world wildlife trade report during each intersessional period between the meetings of the Conference of Parties. The objective of the proposed report is to help parties make better use of the existing primary data by documenting and analysing a wide range of aspects of international trade in Cites listed species. These include trends, trade routes, and scale of the trade, including its value, as well as the conservation and socio-economic impacts and the possible linkages between legal and illegal trade across a variety of supply chains.”
Support
The initiative was supported by Senegal, who added that in addition to the impacts already mentioned that this report would have, health is an area that would also be affected in reference to the recent pandemic which has links to wildlife trade.
Thailand is of the opinion that the proposed World Wildlife Trade Report will potentially provide a comprehensive understanding of a range of aspects of international trade in situs species, from trends pattern, scale to conservation impacts, socio economic benefits, and the correlation between legal and illegal trade. Previous reports on topics such as trends and patterns in wildlife species were few and far between and relied mostly on open-source data which should be noted when interpreting findings.
The threat database if primarily a repository for data in legal trade and is derived from annual reports compiled by parties. Thailand believes that the information provided in the World Wildlife Trade Report with the additional data such as the socio-economic data, and conservation impact of the trade would be beneficial by enhancing the better understanding on collectivistic trade insight in Cites-listed species, and allowing the concrete decision made by the policy level.
Columbia submitted that the World Wildlife Trade Report can help parties to prioritize and to ensure that they provide information of use to the countries in any given region because it is good to see how legal sustainable traceable trade in these species as a way of protecting them. It is also a way of ensuring that we have sustainable ways of helping local communities and ensuring people’s well-being. Columbia supports such a report while stressing that there should be support for mega-diverse countries, such as Columbia.
Zimbabwe supported the proposal saying that the submission from South Africa touches on the fundamental objectives of the Convention as it will help shed light on some grey areas of objective decision-making. They are of the belief that there are various tools and technologies to help Parties collect such data and that the endeavour will not be burdensome. It is not helpful to make important decisions based on perceptions. This Convention’s decision-making process should be informed and guided by science. Zimbabwe sees this as an important tool that will enhance the quality of the decisions that CITES makes.
Other parties who supported the initiative included Botswana, Lesotho, Indonesia, Cambodia, Peru, and the United States of America.
Concern
Although Malaysia believes that the data is valuable, and provides a good indicator for future policy planning, they expressed concern over the feasibility of the World Wildlife Trade Report and would only support the initiative if the reporting is voluntary.
The European Union supports the World Wildlife Trade Report but offered reservation regarding uncertainties such as the projected timelines and issues related to additional reporting obligations with the feasibility with regard to collecting price data and socio-economic information. The EU suggested the establishment of an intersessional working group to address and clarify these issues.
While New Zealand sees the value in understanding trade patterns through trade value data, they questioned the value of Parties following this route and recommended that it would be appropriate for the standing committee to consider an alternative approach involving decisions that direct the Secretariat to commission a report exploring the values of the World Wildlife Trade Report in the most efficient means of gathering the relevant CITES trade value data for those purposes. Thereafter, the standing committee can consider the advice and report on to the COP20.
Japan questioned the validity of the analysis method including price data and said that transparency in the process of objective analysis is not necessary.
Other countries that supported that the initiative be sent to a working group included Zambia, Uganda, Mexico, Kenya
Opposition
Nigeria also chose not to support he initiative because in their view their resources and efforts are better directed to carry out their assessing work and building their capacity.
South Africa introduced CoP19 Doc.12, aimed at assisting parties in making use of their wildlife trade data. SENEGAL and PERU supported the initiative. MALAYSIA expressed concern over the reporting burden. COLOMBIA stressed the need for support for megadiverse countries. NEW ZEALAND questioned the value of parties going down this route and recommended commissioning a report looking at the value of the World Wildlife Trade Report. MEXICO noted it was premature to adopt the Report.
Israel pointed out the highlight World Wildlife Trade Report was only posted to the CITES website on 02 November 2022, long after the deadline for submitting documents to be considered by the COP. They are of the opinion that the pilot report is a substantive part of Document 12 and that they have not had opportunity to examine the pilot report with the care it deserves. Further, Israel is disappointed that the pilot report appears to facilitate trade, while failing to address one of the principal challenges facing CITES today, that is, preventing legal trade from exploiting species to a point where they become depleted and become legitimate candidates for listing on the Appendices.
Argentina and Gabon also opposed the initiative.
Decision
A working group was established to consider the discussion and some of the draft decision that have been tabled, to prepare decisions and return with a consolidated proposal to the committee on the next steps.
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