The 15th Conference of the Parties (CoP15) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) convened from 13-25 March 2010, in Doha, Qatar.

Drawing together some 1,500 participants, the meeting considered 68 agenda items and 42 proposals to amend the CITES appendices. Parties rejected proposals to list bluefin tuna, shark species, polar bears and corals, with their arguments focusing on scientific, economic and livelihood considerations and, most notably, CITES jurisdiction vis-à-vis Regional Fisheries Management Organizations. The meeting decided to list Kaiser’s spotted newt, five species of tree frogs, the unicorn beetle, rosewood, holywood and several Madagascar plant species, among others. Tanzania’s proposal to transfer its elephant population from Appendix I to Appendix II for specific purposes, and Zambia’s proposal to transfer its population to Appendix II for the exclusive purpose of allowing trade in hunting trophies, raw hides and live animals under conditions set forth in the proposal were rejected. Beyond these debates, delegates seemed pleased with progress on numerous implementation and enforcement efforts, including source codes, permits and certification, and electronic permitting, as well as the protection of a number of new plant and animal species.
Link to further information
IISD RS coverage of the meeting