Regulating International Trade in Wildlife 50 Years of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

About this book

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was one of the first in a new wave of global multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) formed after the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment. It is widely recognized as being one of the most successful biodiversity MEAs.

Regulating International Trade in Wildlife: 50 Years of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora represents the first published history of the Convention to coincide with the 50th anniversary of its entry into force. It examines the context under which the Convention was created, and charts the development of its internal organization, including its governing and intersessional bodies and its secretariat, and the personalities that built them.

CITES' business is about the conservation of species affected by international trade. This book reviews the application of CITES to whales, the African elephant, crocodilians, vicuña, timber and tree species, fish and other marine species. The Convention's compliance framework is arguably its most pre-eminent feature. The book looks at the way that key obligations on Parties have been identified, the standards of implementation set, what efforts are made to help Parties comply with these and what sanctions are taken against Parties that fail to implement them.

Finally, the author offers some personal reflections on the successes and failures of CITES, based on his 40 years of engagement with the Convention and looks ahead to how it might develop in its second half-century. This book will be of great interest to wildlife scientists, including conservationists, historians, biologists, as well as environmental scientists and non-governmental organizations.

Contents

1. Genesis and Principal Features of the Convention
2. CITES Structure and Governance
3. CITES Secretariat
4. CITES Species
5. Making the Convention Work
6. CITES: Past, Present and Future

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Biography

David Morgan worked with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in various capacities for 40 years. He spent 17 years as a nature conservation adviser to the Government of the United Kingdom and 6 years in the environment directorate of the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium. He worked at the CITES Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, from 2004 to 2023, for most of the time as Chief of Scientific Services, but also as Chief of Governing Bodies and nine months as Officer-in-Charge of the Secretariat. He is an elected member of the UK's Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management and a Chartered Environmentalist with the Society for the Environment.