Decisions of the Conference of the Parties to CITES in effect after its 15th meeting

Transcription

1 Decisions of the Conference of the Parties to CITES in effect after its 15th meeting This list of Decisions has been produced in accordance with Resolution Conf. 4.6 of the Conference of the Parties. It contains the Decisions (other than Resolutions) adopted at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP15, Doha, 2010) as well as the Decisions adopted at previous meetings that remain in effect after the 15th meeting. The Decisions in this section are grouped by subject, in accordance with Resolution Conf Every Decision that was adopted at CoP15 has a number starting with '15'. Every Decision that was adopted at a previous meeting and remains valid is included here with its original number, indicating the meeting at which it was adopted. If the Conference of the Parties amended a Decision at a meeting after the one at which it was adopted, the original number of that Decision is followed by the indication CoPXX), where 'XX' represents the number of the meeting at which the amendment was adopted. Thus the Decision numbered was adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its 14th meeting and amended at its 15th meeting. Readers of this publication will recall that Decisions of the Conference of the Parties should in principle be valid for only a short term and should be deleted by the Secretariat when they have been implemented or when they become redundant or obsolete. In cases where the Secretariat has deleted part of a Decision that is obsolete or has made a correction, it has annotated the Decision but not changed the number. Information on Decisions that are no longer valid is available from the Secretariat in Geneva.

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3 Contents Contents... i List of Decisions in numerical order... v Administrative matters Financing and budgeting of the Secretariat and of meetings of the Conference of the Parties to 15.4 Non-payment of contributions...1 Strategic matters to Cooperation between Parties and promotion of multilateral measures to 15.7 CITES and livelihoods National wildlife trade policy reviews...3 Scientific committees Rules of Procedure of the Animals and Plants Committees Manual for regional representatives of the scientific committees...3 Cooperation with other organizations Post-2010 biodiversity targets Biodiversity Indicators Partnership to Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) to Climate change Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Global Strategy for Plant Conservation of the Convention on Biological Diversity Funding for projects related to species conservation and management...4 Capacity building Non-commercial loan, donation or exchange of museum and herbarium specimens to Capacity-building programme for science-based establishment and implementation of voluntary national export quotas for Appendix-II species Support to Master s programmes Regional cooperation and coordination & Virtual college & Capacity building to Non-detriment findings & Non-detriment findings for timber, medicinal plants and agarwood...7 i

4 Interpretation and implementation of the Convention Review of Resolutions Review of the Appendices to Criteria for the inclusion of species in Appendices I and II Annotations to the Appendices for plants & Review of annotations for Cactaceae and Orchidaceae: herbarium specimens Review of annotations for Cactaceae and Orchidaceae: evaluation of trade in finished products & Orchids: annotation for species included in Appendix II , & Tree species: annotations for species included in Appendices II and III...10 Review of Significant Trade CoP14) Review of Significant Trade & Review of Significant Trade in Cistanche deserticola, Dioscorea deltoidea, Nardostachys grandiflora, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Pterocarpus santalinus, Rauvolfia serpentina and Taxus wallichiana Compliance and enforcement to National laws for implementation of the Convention & National reports to Reporting on trade in artificially propagated plants & Gathering and analysis of data on illegal trade &15.45 Illegal trade in great apes to Asian big cats...14 Trade control and marking & Introduction from the sea Ranching and trade in ranched specimens of species transferred from Appendix I to Appendix II & Production systems for specimens of CITES-listed species to Electronic permitting Purpose codes on CITES permits and certificates &15.58 E-commerce of specimens of CITES-listed species & Transport of live specimens Physical inspection of timber shipments to Standard nomenclature & Identification of CITES-listed corals in trade Identification of worked specimens of black coral (Antipatharia) and parts thereof in trade...19 ii

5 15.67 to Use of taxonomic serial numbers...19 Exemptions and special trade provisions Personal and household effects...19 Species trade and conservation Fauna & to Saiga antelope , 14.68, & Conservation of and trade in tigers and other Appendix-I Asian big cat species Great whales to Conservation of and trade in African and Asian rhinoceroses & to Elephant conservation Trade in elephant specimens to Grey parrot to Snake trade and conservation management to Tortoises and freshwater turtles Hawksbill turtle Sharks and stingrays to Humphead wrasse Sea cucumbers & Bushmeat...27 Flora Assessment of trade in epiphytic cacti and review of listing of Cactaceae spp. in Appendix II Euphorbia spp Aniba rosaeodora to Working Group on the Bigleaf Mahogany and Other Neotropical Timber Species Cedrela odorata, Dalbergia retusa, Dalbergia granadillo and Dalbergia stevensonii , , , , 15.94, & Agarwood-producing taxa Bulnesia sarmientoi & Madagascar...29 iii

6 Annex 1 Annexes Terms of reference for an evaluation of the Review of Significant Trade Annex 2 Action plan for the control of trade in elephant ivory Annex 3 Annex 4 Working Group on the Bigleaf Mahogany and Other Neotropical Timber Species Action plan for Cedrela odorata, Dalbergia retusa, Dalbergia granadillo and Dalbergia stevensonii iv

7 List of Decisions in numerical order Non-commercial loan, donation or exchange of museum and herbarium specimens Capacity-building programme for science-based establishment and implementation of voluntary national export quotas for Appendix-II species Capacity-building programme for science-based establishment and implementation of voluntary national export quotas for Appendix-II species Capacity-building programme for science-based establishment and implementation of voluntary national export quotas for Appendix-II species Capacity-building programme for science-based establishment and implementation of voluntary national export quotas for Appendix-II species , Elephant conservation CoP14) Review of Significant Trade Review of the Appendices Manual for regional representatives of the scientific committees Support to Master s programmes Regional cooperation and coordination Virtual college Virtual college Review of Resolutions Cooperation between Parties and promotion of multilateral measures Cooperation between Parties and promotion of multilateral measures Cooperation between Parties and promotion of multilateral measures National reports National reports National reports National reports Reporting on trade in artificially propagated plants Introduction from the sea Purpose codes on CITES permits and certificates Physical inspection of timber shipments Personal and household effects Conservation of and trade in tigers and other Appendix-I Asian big cat species Conservation of and trade in tigers and other Appendix-I Asian big cat species Conservation of and trade in tigers and other Appendix-I Asian big cat species...21 v

8 14.73 Bushmeat Bushmeat Elephant conservation Elephant conservation Elephant conservation Elephant conservation Great whales Grey parrot Grey parrot Grey parrot Grey parrot Saiga antelope Saiga antelope Saiga antelope Saiga antelope Saiga antelope Saiga antelope Sea cucumbers Euphorbia spp Orchids: annotation for species included in Appendix II Orchids: annotation for species included in Appendix II Agarwood-producing taxa Agarwood-producing taxa Agarwood-producing taxa Agarwood-producing taxa Agarwood-producing taxa Cedrela odorata, Dalbergia retusa, Dalbergia granadillo and Dalbergia stevensonii Tree species: annotations for species included in Appendices II and III Tree species: annotations for species included in Appendices II and III Non-payment of contributions Non-payment of contributions Non-payment of contributions Non-payment of contributions CITES and livelihoods CITES and livelihoods CITES and livelihoods National wildlife trade policy reviews...3 vi

9 15.9 Rules of Procedure of the Animals and Plants Committees Post-2010 biodiversity targets Biodiversity Indicators Partnership Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Climate change Climate change Climate change Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Global Strategy for Plant Conservation of the Convention on Biological Diversity Funding for projects related to species conservation and management Capacity building Capacity building Non-detriment findings Non-detriment findings Non-detriment findings Non-detriment findings for timber, medicinal plants and agarwood Non-detriment findings for timber, medicinal plants and agarwood Criteria for the inclusion of species in Appendices I and II Criteria for the inclusion of species in Appendices I and II Criteria for the inclusion of species in Appendices I and II Annotations to the Appendices for plants Review of annotations for Cactaceae and Orchidaceae: herbarium specimens Review of annotations for Cactaceae and Orchidaceae: herbarium specimens Review of annotations for Cactaceae and Orchidaceae: evaluation of trade in finished products Tree species: annotations for species included in Appendices II and III Review of Significant Trade in Cistanche deserticola, Dioscorea deltoidea, Nardostachys grandiflora, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Pterocarpus santalinus, Rauvolfia serpentina and Taxus wallichiana Review of Significant Trade in Cistanche deserticola, Dioscorea deltoidea, Nardostachys grandiflora, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Pterocarpus santalinus, Rauvolfia serpentina and Taxus wallichiana National laws for implementation of the Convention National laws for implementation of the Convention vii

10 15.40 National laws for implementation of the Convention National laws for implementation of the Convention Gathering and analysis of data on illegal trade Gathering and analysis of data on illegal trade Illegal trade in great apes Illegal trade in great apes Asian big cats Asian big cats Asian big cats Asian big cats Introduction from the sea Ranching and trade in ranched specimens of species transferred from Appendix I to Appendix II Production systems for specimens of CITES-listed species Production systems for specimens of CITES-listed species Electronic permitting Electronic permitting Electronic permitting E-commerce of specimens of CITES-listed species E-commerce of specimens of CITES-listed species Transport of live specimens Transport of live specimens Standard nomenclature Standard nomenclature Standard nomenclature Identification of CITES-listed corals in trade Identification of CITES-listed corals in trade Identification of worked specimens of black coral (Antipatharia) and parts thereof in trade Use of taxonomic serial numbers Use of taxonomic serial numbers Use of taxonomic serial numbers Conservation of and trade in tigers and other Appendix-I Asian big cat species Conservation of and trade in African and Asian rhinoceroses Conservation of and trade in African and Asian rhinoceroses Conservation of and trade in African and Asian rhinoceroses Trade in elephant specimens Snake trade and conservation management...24 viii

11 15.76 Snake trade and conservation management Snake trade and conservation management Snake trade and conservation management Tortoises and freshwater turtles Tortoises and freshwater turtles Tortoises and freshwater turtles Tortoises and freshwater turtles Tortoises and freshwater turtles Hawksbill turtle Sharks and stingrays Humphead wrasse Humphead wrasse Humphead wrasse Assessment of trade in epiphytic cacti and review of listing of Cactaceae spp. in Appendix II Aniba rosaeodora Working Group on the Bigleaf Mahogany and Other Neotropical Timber Species Working Group on the Bigleaf Mahogany and Other Neotropical Timber Species Working Group on the Bigleaf Mahogany and Other Neotropical Timber Species Agarwood-producing taxa Agarwood-producing taxa Bulnesia sarmientoi Madagascar Madagascar...29 ix

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13 Administrative matters Financing and budgeting of the Secretariat and of meetings of the Conference of the Parties Non-payment of contributions Directed to Parties 15.1 Parties that are in arrears in the payment of their financial contributions to the Convention are urged: a) to clear all outstanding arrears without delay; and b) if unable to clear all outstanding arrears, to enter into arrangements with the Secretariat to mutually agree on a "schedule of payments" The Standing Committee is mandated to monitor the payments of contributions from Parties in arrears and to assist the Secretariat in ensuring that future contributions are paid by the due date The Secretariat shall continue to monitor Parties that are in arrears of the payment of their financial contributions to the Convention by: a) sending reminders twice yearly, with copies to the permanent missions in Geneva; b) visiting the permanent missions in Geneva of the Parties in arrears for three or more years; and c) seeking assistance from regional representatives to the Standing Committee in following up with Parties concerned The Secretariat shall consider the reasons for which Parties are in arrears with regard to their contributions and assist the Parties concerned on an individual basis to facilitate the payment of outstanding contributions. Strategic matters Cooperation between Parties and promotion of multilateral measures Directed to Parties Parties with stricter domestic measures and reservations should review them, as and when appropriate, in order to determine whether they are effective and necessary in order to achieve the objectives of the Convention to ensure that trade in wild fauna and flora species is not detrimental to their survival The Standing Committee shall continue the Working Group on Multilateral Measures, established at its 57th meeting, which, operating by electronic means, should: a) review and, if necessary, revise any consultancy report produced under Decision ; CoP15 Decisions 1

14 b) organize, with the help of the Secretariat, a meeting with representation from all CITES regions to discuss the above report; and c) based on the report of the meeting mentioned above, consider the need to draft for consideration at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties any revised or new resolutions The Secretariat shall, if external funds are made available for the purpose: a) hire a consultant to prepare a report on ways to assess whether: i) the Resolutions of the Conference of the Parties are implemented by all Parties as consistently as possible and whether there is a need to clarify, revise or repeal them; and ii) the scope for multilateral CITES processes that reduce the need by Parties for recourse to stricter domestic measures and reservations should be further developed; and b) assist the Standing Committee in organizing the meeting mentioned in Decision CITES and livelihoods 15.5 The Standing Committee shall continue the operation of its Working Group on CITES and Livelihoods so that it can: a) revise the draft resolution contained in Annex 1 to document CoP15 Doc. 14 and make specific recommendations at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties; b) finalize the toolkit for the rapid assessment at the national level of the positive and negative impacts of implementing CITES listing decisions on the livelihoods of the poor, in conformity with Resolution Conf. 8.3 CoP13); c) finalize the voluntary guidelines for Parties to address the negative impacts, in order to assist Parties in developing local, national and regional initiatives that take account of the impacts of implementing CITES listing decisions on the livelihoods of the poor; and d) prepare a final version of the tools and guidelines for review and endorsement by the Standing Committee at its 62nd meeting. The Working Group shall continue to work electronically through a forum available on the CITES website. If funding is available, consideration may be given to holding one or more meetings, if possible in regions more likely to be affected by the outcome. The process shall not include consideration of the criteria for amendment of the Appendices or the requirement to make non-detriment findings The Standing Committee shall present a report at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties on the progress made with regard to the implementation of Decision On completion of the draft guidelines and toolkit by the Working Group, the Secretariat shall make the draft documents available on its website for comments by Parties, stakeholders and interested organizations, and shall invite such comments via a Notification to the Parties. The comments shall be made available to the Working Group for consideration in the development of revised draft documents to be submitted for approval at the 61st meeting of the Standing Committee. CoP15 Decisions 2

15 National wildlife trade policy reviews 15.8 The Secretariat shall report at the 62nd meeting of the Standing Committee and at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties on the progress made with regard to the implementation of Resolution Conf on Wildlife trade policy reviews. Scientific committees Rules of Procedure of the Animals and Plants Committees 15.9 Considering that members of the Animals and Plants Committees serve in a personal capacity, the Standing Committee shall review the need for the Rules of Procedure of those Committees to deal with potential conflicts of interest of its members relating to their activities in the Committees, and shall report on this matter at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Manual for regional representatives of the scientific committees 14.9 Regarding the manual for regional representatives, contained in the Annex to document PC16/AC22 WG2 Doc. 1, the Secretariat shall: a) seek funding for its translation, publication in the three working languages of the Convention and distribution; and b) when it has been tested by members of the scientific committees and updated accordingly, and funds are available, organize the publication and distribution of printed and electronic versions of the manual as capacity-building materials for regional representatives of the scientific committees. Post-2010 biodiversity targets Cooperation with other organizations The Standing Committee shall review the adopted post-2010 biodiversity targets and, if necessary, make adjustments to the CITES Strategic Vision: as appropriate. Biodiversity Indicators Partnership The Secretariat shall continue to provide its services as a key indicator partner in the Biodiversity Indicators Partnership, consulting the Animals, Plants and Standing Committees where necessary, and shall report on its work in this regard at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Directed to the Animals and Plants Committees and the Secretariat Without taking a position about the necessity for, or nature of, such a Platform, the Chairs of the Animals and Plants Committees and the Secretariat shall, subject to external funding, participate in discussions concerning a possible IPBES, to provide all necessary input into the process of IPBES and to ensure that the role of CITES receives due recognition. The CoP15 Decisions 3

16 Chairs of the Animals and Plants Committees and the Secretariat shall report to the Standing Committee to seek additional guidance The Secretariat shall work with the United Nations Environment Programme to identify possible sources of external funding to support the participation called for in Decision The Standing Committee shall report at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties concerning the IPBES. Climate change Directed to the Animals and Plants Committees Given the implications of climate change for science-based decision-making, the Animals and Plants Committees shall identify the scientific aspects of the provisions of the Convention and of Resolutions of the Conference of the Parties that are actually or likely to be affected by climate change, report their findings, and make recommendations for further action in relation to the Convention and to Resolutions of the Conference of the Parties as appropriate, at the 62nd meeting of the Standing Committee The Secretariat shall request from the secretariats of other multilateral environmental agreements information on their activities that may be linked to climate change and CITES, and report to the Animals and Plants Committees and the Standing Committee The Standing Committee shall consider the reports of the Animals and Plants Committees and the Secretariat and report at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) The Standing Committee shall analyse the current Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between CITES and FAO, determine the cooperative scheme between CITES and FAO on forestry issues, and ensure that future cooperation between FAO and CITES is carried out under the framework of the MoU. Global Strategy for Plant Conservation of the Convention on Biological Diversity Directed to the Plants Committee and the Secretariat The Plants Committee shall collaborate with the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and with any processes established to develop the Strategy beyond 2010, provided it is related to CITES, as well as on other issues related to flora species included in the CITES Appendices, and the Secretariat shall communicate the contributions of CITES in the context of its Memorandum of Understanding with the CBD Secretariat. Funding for projects related to species conservation and management The Secretariat shall: a) in cooperation with international financial institutions and potential donors, investigate possible ways to establish the means to secure funding to support the provision of technical assistance to CITES Parties in relation to regulating wildlife trade (including population studies as a basis for management programmes); and CoP15 Decisions 4

17 b) report its findings and recommendations at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Capacity building Non-commercial loan, donation or exchange of museum and herbarium specimens The Secretariat shall develop a brochure that will illustrate the importance of registering scientific institutions under Article VII, paragraph 6, of the Convention and demonstrate how the registration procedures can be applied in a simplified manner. Capacity-building programme for science-based establishment and implementation of voluntary national export quotas for Appendix-II species Directed to Parties The Parties should seek funding in order to: a) assist the Secretariat in implementing its capacity-building programme dealing with the scientific basis for establishment and implementation of voluntary national export quotas for Appendix-II species; and b) support exporting countries in their efforts to gather information needed to set quotas The Secretariat is encouraged to continue to develop and refine its capacity-building programme dealing with the scientific basis for development, establishment, and implementation of voluntary national export quotas for Appendix-II species, and shall, as appropriate, consult with the Animals Committee and Plants Committee on this programme. This consultation may include: a) solicitation of input from the Committees regarding materials used in the capacitybuilding programme for voluntary national export quotas for Appendix-II species; and b) a request for new information from the Committees on methods used for establishing quotas and for relevant case studies on the establishment of quotas To facilitate the development and refinement of its capacity-building programme for voluntary national export quotas for Appendix-II species, the Secretariat may invite Parties to provide new information regarding the scientific basis for establishment and implementation of such quotas, and regarding the most appropriate ways of disseminating relevant information to the Parties in a timely and cost-effective manner The Secretariat shall seek funding to: a) continue its capacity-building programme for the scientific basis for establishment and implementation of voluntary national export quotas for Appendix-II species; and b) support exporting countries in their efforts to gather information needed to set quotas. Support to Master s programmes Directed to Parties Parties are requested to provide, in accordance with national legislation, financial assistance to academic institutions offering Master s degree courses on CITES and CITES-related subjects in order to support the continuation of these courses. CoP15 Decisions 5

18 Regional cooperation and coordination Directed to Parties Parties should urge regional environmental organizations to take a more active role in regional cooperation and coordination of CITES to build capacity in their region. Virtual college The Secretariat shall seek external funding to establish and operate a CITES Virtual College, in collaboration with academic institutions and training organizations, to provide Internetbased training on the Convention that will be available to all Parties The Secretariat shall, subject to external funding, produce its capacity-building tools in the six official languages of the United Nations. Capacity building The Secretariat shall: a) seek funding to convene a capacity-building workshop and regional meeting for the Oceania region before the 62nd meeting of the Standing Committee, in order to improve regional implementation of the Convention; and b) subject to availability of funds, invite the Parties of the region, non-party States, regional intergovernmental organizations and observers as may be appropriate The Secretariat shall: a) seek funding to convene a capacity-building workshop and regional meeting for the Africa region before the 62nd meeting of the Standing Committee, in order to improve regional implementation of the Convention; and b) subject to availability of funds, invite the Parties of the region, non-party States, regional intergovernmental organizations and observers as may be appropriate. Non-detriment findings Directed to Parties Parties are encouraged: a) to consider the outputs of the International Expert Workshop on Non-Detriment Findings (Cancún, November 2008) to enhance CITES Scientific Authorities capacities, particularly those related to the methodologies, tools, information, expertise and other resources needed to formulate non-detriment findings; b) taking into account Resolution Conf. 10.3, to prioritize activities such as workshops on capacity building to better understand what non-detriment findings are and how to enhance the ways to formulate them; and c) to report their findings regarding paragraphs a) and b) above at the 25th and 26th meetings of the Animals Committee and 19th and 20th meetings of the Plants Committee. Directed to the Animals and Plants Committees The Animals and Plants Committees shall: a) review feedback received from Parties on the outputs from the International Expert Workshop on Non-Detriment Findings and advise on a path forward on how best to use the outputs to assist Scientific Authorities in the making of non-detriment findings; CoP15 Decisions 6

19 b) prepare a discussion paper for consideration at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP16) with options on how to use the workshop outputs, including, if considered appropriate, a draft resolution on the establishment of non legally binding guidelines for the making of non-detriment findings; c) review the non-detriment finding training materials used by the CITES Secretariat when conducting regional capacity-building workshops and provide advice for their improvement; and d) taking account of the results of the International Expert Workshop on Non-Detriment Findings (Cancún, November 2008) and the responses to Notification to the Parties No. 2009/023 of 8 June 2009: i) establish the mechanism for reporting from the Parties on their findings in an open and intersessional process; ii) prepare draft guidance on the making on non-detriment findings at their 25th and 19th, and 26th and 20th meetings respectively; iii) submit this draft guidance to the Secretariat to be conveyed to Parties for comment in a Notification to the Parties; and iv) review comments received from Parties and prepare revised draft guidance as a tool for making non-detriment findings for submission and consideration at CoP The Secretariat shall: a) include non-detriment findings as a principal component of its regional capacity-building workshops; and b) use the external funds offered from interested Parties, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, and other funding sources, to translate the guidelines into Arabic, Chinese and Russian and to support activities for capacity building on nondetriment findings in regional workshops. Non-detriment findings for timber, medicinal plants and agarwood Directed to Parties Parties are invited to conduct workshops with the participation of appropriate experts on the use of timber species and Prunus africana, medicinal plants and agarwood-producing species non-detriment finding guidance in range States concerned with the cooperation of the importing Parties The Secretariat shall: a) include practical elements for making non-detriment findings for these plant groups in its capacity-building workshops, in order to generate feedback from Scientific Authorities to refine the guidelines on making non-detriment findings included in document CoP15 Doc. 16.3; b) use the external funds offered from interested Parties, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, and other funding sources to translate the guidelines into Arabic, Chinese and Russian and to support capacity-building workshops regionally on the use of timber species and Prunus africana, medicinal plants and agarwoodproducing species non-detriment finding guidance in the range States concerned; and c) maintain the information up to date and accessible to Parties. CoP15 Decisions 7

20 Interpretation and implementation of the Convention Review of Resolutions The Standing Committee should review any proposals from the Secretariat to correct nonsubstantive errors or minor editorial faults in current Resolutions and decide whether they should be referred to the Conference of the Parties. In cases where the Committee agrees with the proposals and considers that they need not be referred to the Conference, it may instruct the Secretariat to republish the Resolutions with the necessary corrections. Review of the Appendices Directed to the Animals Committee The Animals Committee shall, immediately following the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties, include the Felidae in its Review of the Appendices. This review shall initially focus on the listing of the Lynx species complex, which includes species that are listed because of similarity of appearance, such as Lynx rufus. In addition to evaluating the listings of these species against the criteria for inclusion of species in Appendices I and II contained in Resolution Conf. 9.24, the Animals Committee shall assess the management and enforcement measures available to achieve effective control of trade in these species so as to resolve the continued need for look-alike listings. This assessment should also include a review of trade information to determine whether these species are actually confused in trade or whether the look-alike problem is merely hypothetical. The Animals Committee shall provide a report at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties on the progress of the review of all Felidae and particularly on their review of Lynx spp. and look-alike issues. Criteria for the inclusion of species in Appendices I and II The Secretariat shall: a) prepare a report that will summarize its experience in applying criterion Annex 2 a B and the introductory text to Annex 2 a of Resolution Conf to some or all of the commercially exploited aquatic species that were proposed for inclusion on Appendix II at the 13th, 14th and 15th meetings of the Conference of the Parties, highlighting any technical difficulties or ambiguous issues encountered, including, where appropriate, illustrations of these matters by comparison with application of the criteria to other species; b) request IUCN/TRAFFIC and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to each prepare a report, subject to the availability of external funding, with the same requirements as the report referred to in paragraph a) above; and c) submit its report and any received under paragraph b) above for consideration at the 25th meeting of the Animals Committee. Directed to the Animals Committee The Animals Committee shall: a) on receipt of any or all of the reports referred to in Decision 15.28, and having sought the participation of representative(s) of the Plants Committee, IUCN, TRAFFIC, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and other appropriate experts, develop guidance on the application of criterion B and the introductory text of Annex 2 a of Resolution Conf to commercially exploited aquatic species proposed for inclusion on Appendix II; CoP15 Decisions 8

21 b) recommend the best way to incorporate the guidance for use when applying Resolution Conf to commercially exploited aquatic species, without affecting the application of Resolution Conf to other taxa; and c) submit its conclusions and recommendations at the 62nd meeting of the Standing Committee The Standing Committee shall: a) consider the report and recommendations submitted by the Animals Committee under Decision together with comments or other input that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations may wish to submit; and b) submit the Animals Committee s recommendations, together with its comments, at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Annotations to the Appendices for plants Directed to the Plants Committee The Plants Committee shall: a) prepare clarification (i.e. a glossary or an illustrated brochure to be made available to enforcement authorities) and guidance on the meaning of packaged and ready for retail trade and other terms used in the Annotations, and b) report at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP16) and, if necessary, prepare additional amendment proposals for CoP16. Review of annotations for Cactaceae and Orchidaceae: herbarium specimens The Secretariat shall: a) encourage Parties via a Notification to contact their national scientific institutions, and to inform them about the implications and benefits under Article VII, paragraph 6, and Resolution Conf CoP12); b) encourage Parties via a Notification to apply Article VII, paragraph 6, by registering scientific institutions as appropriate [as stated in Resolution Conf CoP12)]; and c) in compliance with Decision 12.79, support the preparation of an information brochure. Directed to Parties The Parties shall: a) Contact their national scientific institutions, and inform them about the implications and benefits under Article VII, paragraph 6, and Resolution Conf CoP12); and b) Apply Article VII, paragraph 6, by registering scientific institutions in accord with Resolution Conf CoP12). Review of annotations for Cactaceae and Orchidaceae: evaluation of trade in finished products Directed to the Plants Committee The Plants Committee shall: a) continue to review the trade in Aloe spp., Cactaceae spp., Cyclamen spp., Galanthus spp., Gonystylus spp., Orchidaceae spp. and Prunus africana to determine whether additional finished products should be exempted by amending the relevant annotations CoP15 Decisions 9

22 for these species. This review should initially focus on trade in finished products of Orchidaceae spp. Recommendations on whether to exempt additional finished products from CITES controls should be based on the same considerations reflected in document PC18 Doc (e.g. whether finished products are exported from range States and are a significant portion of the trade). In conducting this work, the Plants Committee should consider whether a clear definition of finished products should be developed; and b) as appropriate, prepare proposals to amend Appendix II, based on the outcome of this review, and provide them to the Depositary Government for submission at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Orchids: annotation for species included in Appendix II Directed to Parties and the Plants Committee Countries of export and import should make recommendations and prepare identification material on further exemptions for artificially propagated hybrids of Orchidaceae spp. included in Appendix II, taking into consideration the capacities of countries to implement and control such exemptions effectively. The results shall be sent to the Plants Committee, which shall evaluate them and adopt the appropriate measures. Directed to the Plants Committee The Plants Committee shall monitor and assess possible conservation problems arising from the implementation of the annotation to Orchidaceae spp. included in Appendix II and shall report on the issue at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Tree species: annotations for species included in Appendices II and III Subject to the availability of external funding, the Secretariat shall prepare a glossary with definitions and training materials to illustrate the content of the amended annotations, the terms used and their practical implementation when applying the law and controls The Secretariat shall commission a trade study, subject to available funding, to be conducted by an external consultant in cooperation with the International Tropical Timber Organization, to review the trade in timber species listed in Appendices II and III to determine the types of specimens that initially appear in international trade or are exported from range States and regarding those which dominate the trade in and demand for the wild resource. Once the specimens that meet these criteria have been determined, the study should also determine which six-digit universal HS codes and associated definitions are applicable to these specimens. The Secretariat shall provide the results of this study to the Plants Committee. Directed to the Plants Committee a) Based on the results of the trade study, the Plants Committee shall review the annotations for tree species listed in Appendices II and III and, if appropriate, draft amendments to the annotations and prepare clear definitions for the terms used in those annotations in order to facilitate their use and understanding by CITES authorities, enforcement officers, exporters and importers. b) The amended annotations shall focus on articles that initially appear in international trade as exports from range States and those which dominate the trade in and demand for the wild resource. c) The Plants Committee shall draft, if necessary, proposals to amend Resolution Conf and/or to amend the Appendices accordingly so that the Depositary Government may submit them on its behalf for consideration at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties. CoP15 Decisions 10

23 Review of Significant Trade CoP14) Review of Significant Trade The Conference of the Parties has adopted the Terms of reference for an evaluation of the Review of Significant Trade contained in Annex 1 to these Decisions. Review of Significant Trade in Cistanche deserticola, Dioscorea deltoidea, Nardostachys grandiflora, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Pterocarpus santalinus, Rauvolfia serpentina and Taxus wallichiana Directed to the range States of Cistanche deserticola, Dioscorea deltoidea, Nardostachys grandiflora, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Pterocarpus santalinus, Rauvolfia serpentina and Taxus wallichiana, to the regional representatives for Asia on the Plants Committee and to the Secretariat The bodies to which this Decision is directed should ensure the implementation of regionally coordinated actions to improve the management of the seven species and ensure that the trade therein is legal, sustainable and traceable. These measures could include, inter alia, the organization of regional capacity-building workshops, the improvement of methodologies to make non-detriment findings and to determine legal acquisition, the harmonization of management and compliance measures, and the development of incentives to prevent illegal trade The Secretariat shall: a) subject to the availability of external funding and in collaboration with the range States, the regional representatives for Asia on the Plants Committee, the World Health Organization, traditional medicine associations and TRAFFIC, organize one or several regional capacity-building workshops, on the basis, inter alia, of the recommendations in document PC17 Inf. 10; and b) inform the Plants Committee on progress made at its 20th meeting. Compliance and enforcement National laws for implementation of the Convention Directed to Parties Parties should submit to the Secretariat, in one of the working languages of the Convention, appropriate measures which have been adopted for effective implementation of the Convention Any Party which has not adopted appropriate measures for effective implementation of the Convention should submit to the Secretariat a justification for not having done so The Standing Committee shall review at its 61st and 62nd meetings the progress of Parties in adopting appropriate measures for the effective implementation of the Convention The Secretariat shall: a) compile and analyse the information submitted by Parties on measures adopted before the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP16) to fulfil the requirements laid down in the text of the Convention and Resolution Conf. 8.4 ; CoP15 Decisions 11

24 b) provide, to the extent resources are available, legal advice and assistance to Parties on the development of appropriate measures for effective implementation of the Convention, including legislative guidance for and training of CITES authorities, legal drafters, policy makers, the judiciary, parliamentarians and other relevant government officials responsible for the formulation and adoption of CITES-related legislation; c) cooperate, in the provision of legislative assistance, with the legal programmes of United Nations bodies and intergovernmental organizations such as UNEP, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Bank and the Organization of American States; d) report at the 61st and 62nd meetings of the Standing Committee on Parties progress in adopting adequate measures and, if necessary, recommend the adoption of appropriate compliance measures, including suspension of trade; e) identify for the Standing Committee any countries that require attention as a priority under the National Legislation Project; and f) report at CoP16 on the progress made with regard to the implementation of Resolution Conf. 8.4 and Decisions 15.38, 15.39, and National reports The Standing Committee, with the assistance of its Working Group on Special Reporting Requirements and the Secretariat, shall: a) continue its review of the recommendations to Parties to provide special reports under the Convention, assess whether they have been or might be effectively incorporated into the annual and biennial reports, and consider how the biennial report format might be revised to facilitate such incorporation; b) revise the standard biennial report format to gather information from Parties on incentive measures for implementation of the Convention, conservation measures for Appendix-I listed species and case studies on user fees; c) by its 61st meeting (SC61), follow up on how the reporting required in the indicators for the CITES Strategic Vision: would be undertaken and, by SC62, begin applying the indicators; and d) report at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties on its conclusions and recommendations The Secretariat shall: a) continue to collaborate with the secretariats of other conventions, UNEP and other bodies in order to facilitate the harmonization of knowledge management and reporting; b) identify additional ways to reduce the reporting burden on Parties, inter alia, in the context of Party-led initiatives, its ongoing review of the Resolutions and Decisions of the Conference of the Parties, its support to the Standing Committee on electronic permitting and its work with partners to compile and analyse CITES-related reports; and c) report at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties on the results of this work. Reporting on trade in artificially propagated plants The Secretariat shall, subject to available funding, in consultation with the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre: a) conduct a survey of reporting practices of Parties relating to trade in artificially propagated plants of taxa included in Appendix II, e.g. regarding the degree of completeness and detail; CoP15 Decisions 12

25 b) identify cases where the compilation of trade data pertaining to artificially propagated plants of taxa included in Appendix II has contributed to a significant extent to the detection of illegal trade or to any other analysis related to the conservation of wild flora; c) taking into consideration the results of paragraphs a) and b) above, analyse the Convention text and Resolutions in order to identify binding and non-binding elements of reporting, with special emphasis on artificially propagated plants of taxa included in Appendix II. The Secretariat shall list options for streamlining such reporting; and d) report on its findings to the Plants Committee prior to its 20th meeting. Directed to the Plants Committee The Plants Committee shall, after considering the report of the Secretariat: a) determine whether there are any taxa of Appendix-II plants artificially propagated for which detailed reporting is less valuable; and b) report its findings to the Standing Committee at its 62nd meeting The Standing Committee shall: a) taking into consideration the findings of the Plants Committee, determine whether it is possible to streamline the reporting of trade in artificially propagated Appendix-II plants; and b) report on its findings at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties and submit draft wording to amend Resolutions concerned, where appropriate. Gathering and analysis of data on illegal trade The Secretariat shall establish an illegal trade database working group to: a) design and implement a database to be used by the Parties and the Secretariat for the gathering and analysis of data related to illegal trade in specimens of CITES-listed species; b) seek external funding to enable the group to conduct its activities, assisted by a relevant consultant if appropriate; and c) report to the Standing Committee at its 61st and 62nd meetings on the progress of the working group The Standing Committee shall consider the reports of the Secretariat and also consider: a) endorsing any relevant recommendation or measure that could be implemented prior to the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP16); or b) requesting the Secretariat to prepare a report for consideration at CoP16. Illegal trade in great apes The Secretariat shall seek external funding to undertake, in conjunction with GRASP, ICPO- INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization, technical missions to a limited number of gorilla range States. The Secretariat shall report to the Standing Committee on the outcome of the missions. CoP15 Decisions 13