The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) have announced a collaboration in support of rural communities engaged in the trade of selected species listed under CITES Appendix II.
23 January 2014: The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) have announced a collaboration in support of rural communities engaged in the trade of selected species listed under CITES Appendix II.
The collaboration aims to fill the information gap between the harvesters, producers, regulators, retailers and consumers involved in trade by mapping and preparing in-depth analyses of the dynamics of value chains for selected, CITES Appendix II listed species. ITC and CITES will build models for legal, sustainable and traceable trade that use economic incentives to promote the sound management and sourcing of the species. Through capacity-building and research, the organizations intend to assist local communities in the sustainable management of these resources.
Regarding the project, John Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General, emphasized that the collaboration will support countries to work transparently with partners across the value chain to ensure benefits from legal, sustainable and traceable trade in CITES-listed species reach local communities. ITC Executive Director Arancha González noted the importance of transparent and well regulated markets for species conservation. ITC is a joint agency of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the UN. [CITES News] [ITC Press Release]