March 2, 2023
Hundreds of species of wild animals and plants included in CITES' CoP19 in Panama are officially accorded new international protective measures as of February 23, 90 days since they were adopted at the 19th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP19) in Panama City.
The 183 governments and the EU, which comprise the 184 Parties to CITES - the international treaty that regulates global trade in wildlife - will apply new control measures to their trade practices for most of the 562 species of wild animals and plants that have entered the Conventions' Appendix II.
The species affected include marine species, trees, amphibians, turtles and tortoises, birds, fish, and orchids. These are species with highly critical roles in the ecosystems they inhabit, in the daily lives of all humans, and in international commerce.
In addition to the amendments to the CITES Appendices, five new Resolutions, changes to more than 20 Resolutions and more than 360 decisions will also come into force today.
Together, these legally-binding measures will be built into the national laws and practices of governments around the world to ensure that the trade in these species would remain legal, sustainable and traceable, and contribute to their long-term conservation.