This side-event explored how the post-2020 framework and its preparation can strengthen the work under CITES and thereby contribute to the wider biodiversity objectives.
The debates were moderated by Mr Jorge Rodriguez Romero, Head of the EU Delegation at CITES COP18. The panellists included:
- Mr Basile Van Havre, Co-chair of the Post 2020 Biodiversity Framework Open Ended Working Group, Convention on Biological Diversity (video)
- Mrs Diane Klaimi, Multilateral Environmental Agreements, Support and Cooperation Law Division, UN Environment
- Mrs Sol Guerrero Ortiz, Coordinator of CITES scientific authority, CONABIO – Mexico
- Mrs Carolina Carceres, Director, International Biodiversity Policy, Wildlife Service – Canada
- Mr Vin Fleming, Head Global Programme & CITES Scientific Authority, Joint Nature Conservation – Committee – United Kingdom
- Dr Susan Lieberman, Vice President, International Policy, WCS
- Mr Guido Broekhoven, Head of Policy, Research and Development, WWF International
- Mrs Anastasiya Timoshyna, Senior programme coordinator on sustainable trade, TRAFFIC
The participants were first asked to share their views on the concrete elements that CITES can bring to the post-2020 biodiversity framework.
« CITES is an efficient instrument and biodiversity has been highlighted globally as having a key importance for Rio Conventions and MEAs’ coordination. CITES was among the first convention to lay down its vision for the Post-2020, through sustainable and legal international trade. », Diane Klaimi, UNEP.
Discussions stressed CITES’ added value as an action oriented and a comprehensive convention with concrete obligations supporting sustainable international wildlife trade and use. It recalled the complementarity of CITES and CBD to address the direct and indirect drivers of biodiversity loss.
It also further clarified how the Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework could foster synergies and increase efficiency and effectiveness of CITES’ implementation, with dedicated recommendations in terms of level of ambition, structure and targets’ framing, monitoring and review tools and indicators.
Read our position paper on CITES !
CITES COP18 video:
Presentation from Basile Van Havre:
