Earth Negotiations Bulletin – A Reporting Service for Environment and Development Negotiations published the summary of the 69th Meeting of CITES Standing Committee, held 27 November to 1 December, 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland.
“On Friday, the sixty-ninth meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES SC69) convened for its final day in snowy Geneva. In the morning, delegates caught up on outstanding agenda items, and considered in-session documents in the afternoon.
National Ivory Action Plans (NIAPs), pangolins and timber species from Madagascar stirred lengthy discussions. Kuwait requested the deferral of a decision on the NIAP process for Qatar until SC70, but despite having presented an information document on its efforts, the Standing Committee (SC) nonetheless requested it continue in the NIAP process. The discussion on pangolins focused on issues related to the treatment of specimens, including stockpiles, obtained by parties prior to their listing in Appendix I. A recommendation that all pangolin specimens, regardless of the timing of their acquisition, be regulated as Appendix I specimens in accordance with Article III of the Convention until further consideration by CoP18, led to the entire report being put to a vote. The recommendation was adopted by a majority decision of the SC, with China, Russian Federation and Kuwait voting against the proposal. On timber, the SC agreed to maintain the recommendation for parties not to accept exports or re-exports for commercial purposes from Madagascar of specimens of Diospyros spp. and Dalbergia spp.” More here.