Outcomes from CoP18
Read about some of the high-level outcomes from the 18th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES in our media release. You can also read through a table with detailed outcomes.
Tentative U.S. Negotiating Positions for Agenda Items and Species Proposals Submitted by Foreign Governments and the CITES Secretariat
Tentative U.S. Negotiating Positions
The Service published a Federal Register Notice announcing the availability of tentative negotiating positions on proposed resolutions, decisions, and amendments to the CITES Appendices (species proposals), as well as other agenda items that have been submitted by other Parties, the permanent CITES committees, and the CITES Secretariat for consideration at CoP18. A summary of our proposed negotiating positions and the reasons for our proposed positions can by clicking on the link above.. For more information, please see the Federal Register Notice.
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CoP18 Rescheduled
CITES CoP18 has been rescheduled for August 16 - 28 in Geneva, Switzerland. Additional information can be found here and on the CITES website.
Background on the 18th Meeting of the Conference of Parties to CITES
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is a treaty that protects species from becoming endangered or extinct because of international trade. A State or country that has agreed to implement the Convention is called a Party to CITES. Currently there are 182 Parties and the European Union.
Every two to three years, a meeting of the Conference of the Parties is held to review, discuss, and negotiate changes in the implementation of CITES, including changes in protections for certain species. The 18th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP18) to CITES will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka from May 23 – June 3, 2019. Additional information on CoP18, can be found on the event website.
U.S. Submissions
Detailed information is available on species and policy proposals that the United States has co-sponsored or submitted. Find them here.
On Wednesday, March 13th at 1:00pm EST a public meeting was held at the U.S. Department of Interior to discuss the items on the provisional agenda for the eighteenth regular meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP18). A livestream of the event was offered.
How can I contribute information or ideas for CITES CoP18?
We’re committed to conducting an open and transparent process as we prepare for CoP18 that considers the interests of the public, stakeholders, other federal agencies, and Congress. We will publish a series of Federal Register notices to solicit public input on the development of U.S. proposals, documents, and negotiating positions for CoP18. This process helps us to develop robust proposals and positions by taking into account a wide variety of views and anticipating potential implementation and enforcement challenges.
Information for NGOs requesting approval to attend the 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES
Organizations, including non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and industry associations, wishing to attend the 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CoP18), must receive approval to attend the meeting. All organizations seeking to attend CoP18 as observers must register with the CITES Secretariat no later than March 24, 2019. See here for registration details.
To stay up to date on U.S. preparations for CoP18 bookmark this page, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Federal Register Notices
August 2, 2019: 84 FR 37913 Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); Eighteenth Regular Meeting; Tentative U.S. Negotiating Positions for Agenda Items and Species Proposals Submitted by Foreign Governments and the CITES Secretariat
March 6, 2019: 84 FR 8104 Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); Eighteenth Regular Meeting; Provisional Agenda; Announcement of Public Meeting
October 1, 2018: 83 FR 49421 Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); Eighteenth Regular Meeting: Taxa Being Considered for Amendments to the CITES Appendices and Proposed Resolutions, Decisions, and Agenda Items Being Considered; Observer Information. An extended version of this notice describes each of the positions in detail and explains the rationale for United States' current thinking.
March 12, 2018: 83 FR 10736 Request for Information and Recommendations on Resolutions, Decisions, and Agenda Items for Considerationat the Eighteenth Regular Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
January 23, 2018: 83 FR 3179 - Species Proposals for Consideration at the Eighteenth Regular Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
Banner Credits: Orchid background: USFWS; Alligator: USFWS; Bonobo: Vanessa Woods; Pink Lady's Slipper orchid: Thomas Barnes/University of Kentucky; Paddlefish: Tennessee Aquarium
