The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) have announced a collaborative initiative to provide assistance to priority countries and territories, upon their request, to enhance their legislation on effective implementation of CITES, including to combat illegal trade in wildlife.
5 May 2015: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) have announced a collaborative initiative to provide assistance to priority countries and territories, upon their request, to enhance their legislation on effective implementation of CITES, including to combat illegal trade in wildlife.
According to the latest figures released by the CITES National Legislation Project, 88 countries and 13 dependent territories need to strengthen their legal frameworks. Some 17 countries have been identified as requiring priority attention: Algeria, Belize, Bolivia, Comoros, Djibouti, Guinea-Bissau, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Liberia, Mauritania, Mozambique, Pakistan, Paraguay, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania and Venezuela.
The UNEP-CITES initiative includes the provision of targeted legal advice on the four basic domestic measures required by CITES, compilation of examples of best legislation, drafting support, and close cooperation with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) on implementation of the relevant provisions of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the strengthening of the rule of law and the fight against corruption. [CITES Press Release] [CITES National Legislation Project]