4 December 2014: More than 20 Thai Government agencies with a role in implementing the country’s revised national ivory action plan (NIAP) came together to discuss and brief John Scanlon, Secretary-General of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), on progress on the NIAP.

At the 65th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee, the Secretariat requested Thailand to submit a revised NIAP by 30 September 2014, with a list of actions to be achieved by 31 March 2015, as well as a progress report on these actions to be submitted by 15 January 2015. The actions concern measures to ensure the effective control of domestic trade and possession of elephant ivory and enforcement efforts against illegal trade or possession.

During the visit from 3-4 December 2014, Scanlon was updated on progress with legislative reforms and new and enhanced systems to register the possession of ivory and regulate domestic ivory traders. He noted that Thailand has prepared an ambitious national ivory action plan.

The CITES Standing Committee will now consider intersessional decisions to determine any actions, including compliance measures as necessary, to be taken with regard to those Parties yet to submit adequate national ivory action plans. The Standing Committee will also assess Thailand’s progress on implementation of its revised plan.

CITES NIAPs are a tool used by the Convention to strengthen national controls on trade in ivory and ivory markets. Originally developed for eight Parties of “primary concern” with regard to elephant poaching and the illegal ivory trade (China, Kenya, Malaysia, the Philippines, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda and Viet Nam) in 2013, the use of NIAPs was broadened to a further eight Parties of “secondary concern” (Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Mozambique and Nigeria) and three Parties of “importance to watch” (Angola, Cambodia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic). A plan encompassing actions to stem both the illegal trade in ivory and the illegal trade in rhinoceros horn is being developed by Mozambique. [CITES News] [IIDS RS Coverage of CITES SC65]