CITES

·        On July 15, 2008 UN (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species - Cites) gave China the green light to bid in a one-off sale of ivory.

·         The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) voted in favour of China's request during a meeting being held in Geneva.

·         Under an agreement reached in 2007, Cites gave permission for the four nations to make a single sale of all government-owned stocks of ivory that have been registered by January of that year.

Mission IAS’2009

·         China joins Japan as approved buyers of government-owned ivory from South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

·         In 2007, Cites authorised the four nations to sell off stockpiles of legally held elephant ivory.

·         In order to gain approval, China had to present evidence to members of the Cites standing committee that it had put in place measures to tackle any illegal domestic sales of ivory.

·         South Africa declared the largest amount, making 51 tonnes available, while Botswana's stockpile was almost 44 tonnes. The other two countries declared much smaller amounts; Namibia total was just under 10 tonnes, and Zimbabwe stockpile was almost four tonnes.

·         CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

·         CITES was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of IUCN (The World Conservation Union).

·         The text of the Convention was finally agreed at a meeting of representatives of 80 countries in Washington DC., United States of America, on 3 March 1973, and on 1 July 1975 CITES entered in force.

·         For many years CITES has been among the conservation agreements with the largest membership, with now 173 Parties.