17 October 2012: The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has published the preliminary agenda and new working documents for the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16).

The documents include: a proposal by the EU to improve transparency of voting during meetings of the CoP consisting in the amendment of Rule 25 on “Methods of voting” so that the request for a secret ballot be immediately voted upon and that the motion for a secret ballot not be conducted by secret ballot; a proposal by Mexico on the use of secret ballots; budgetary proposals for 2014-2016; a proposal by China on improving the efficiency of international cooperation on permit and certificate verification; a proposal to amend Decision 14.77 on a decision-making mechanism for a future trade in elephant ivory submitted by Benin, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo, asking the Standing Committee to ensure that this decision‐making mechanism is consistent with the African Elephant Action Plan; a proposal on revising Resolution 10.14 (Rev. COP14) on leopard quotas by Botswana, South Africa and the US; and a proposal submitted by Switzerland on behalf of the Standing Committee, and as Chair of the Standing Committee Working Group on snake trade and conservation management on snake trade and conservation management.

CITES COP 16 will take place in Bangkok, Thailand, from 3-14 March 2013. [CITES Provisional Agenda and Working Documents]