51Ó°Ôº

Today is a day of great celebration for champions of wildlife conservation around the world! It has been 50 years since the ), entered into force on 1 July 1975. This milestone is not simply a marker in time; it is a moment to reflect on the distance we have travelled in the quest to conserve animals and plants in the wild, and gather strength and wisdom for the road ahead.

The journey that began as a vision forged in Arusha, recognized in Nairobi and Stockholm, signed in Washington, D.C. by 21 countries, and first ratified by 10 countries, has become one of the most impactful multilateral environmental agreements in the world, a unique treaty in which trade intersects with biodiversity.?

We must honour the legacy of the many visionaries who laid the groundwork for this Convention ¨C conservationists, traders, policymakers and community leaders. Let us celebrate the achievements of our 185 signatory Parties, who have worked tirelessly and invested so much to implement the Convention¡¯s core principles of legality, sustainability and traceability. These principles serve as a statutory duty to ensure that international trade in CITES-listed animals and plants is well regulated. ?

CITES Parties continue to strengthen this commitment every day through effective implementation, including by making non-detriment findings (NDF) to ensure trade is sustainable, verifying legal acquisition to ensure illegal specimens do not enter international trade and taking enforcement actions where required. ?

Without the actions of Parties, CITES would have stalled at the starting line. Their efforts are the engine driving the Convention forward, towards a future where international trade advances both conservation goals and sustainable economic and livelihood benefits.

Over the past five decades, the terrain around us has shifted dramatically. Global trade has expanded at an unprecedented scale. Human populations have doubled. The triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are threatening our very existence. Against this backdrop, CITES has grown ¨C not just in size, but in purpose and relevance. The Convention has become a vital bridge between conservation and commerce, between science and policy, and between present and future generations.?

The Plenipotentiary meeting of CITES, or the Washington Convention, was held in Washington, D.C. in 1973, with 80 countries represented. It reviewed 25 official documents, 25 fauna proposals and 5 flora proposals. Today, CITES regulates trade in over 40,000 species. At the most recent Conference of the Parties (CoP) meeting in 2022, 160 of the 185 CITES Parties were represented and decided to add to, or change the status of, over 500 species in the CITES Appendices. Of the proposals adopted, it was agreed that the international trade in 4 bird species, 100 shark and ray species, 50 turtle and tortoise species, 160 species of amphibians and 150 tree species were to be regulated under CITES.

This expansion reflects ecological urgency. The additions are symbolic of an evolving understanding of how deeply wild animals and plants are woven into our culture, livelihoods, economies, and our own survival. Growth, however, brings complexity. Scientific, legal and management decisions must now navigate more stakeholders, more data and more risks than ever before. This requires discipline, inclusiveness and sharper tools.?

The , produced by the Trade Records Analysis of Fauna and Flora in Commerce, the 51Ó°Ôº Environment Programme, the World Trade Organization, the 51Ó°Ôº Conference on Trade and Development and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, highlighted that half a century ago, most traded wildlife originated from the wild. Today, however, much of the trade involves species from captive-breeding facilities or plant nurseries, produced under strict requirements and conditions. We are witnessing the evolution of the international wildlife trade, and the Convention is evolving and adapting to address the associated challenges and opportunities. ??

Further, over the years, Parties to the Convention have become increasingly concerned about overexploitation threats and have expanded the scope of species included in the Appendices, which now list more than 800 tree species and 2,000 marine species. We have also seen the removal of species from the Appendices and the transfer of species from Appendix I to II when conservation efforts and CITES controls have succeeded. These are tangible signs of progress ¨C proof that regulation, when well designed and well implemented, can drive sustainability.?

The road has not always been smooth. In recent years, we¡¯ve weathered global upheavals ¨C COVID-19, financial crises, avian influenza, sudden changes of CoP venues, challenging geopolitical dynamics, and supply chain disruptions. Yet through it all, CITES has not only endured, it has grown stronger. We have held governing body and scientific meetings under unprecedented conditions. Decisions have been made in difficult circumstances, and still progress was achieved, thanks to the steadfast commitment and collaboration of our Parties, the skilful Chairs presiding over the various Committees, and the many experts who give their time voluntarily despite their heavy workloads back home.

At the same time, we recognize that we must adapt how we work ¨C not just what we work on. CITES functions as a convenor of Parties operating within a multilateral framework. Governance is collective, the Parties aim for decisions to be made through consensus, and the Secretariat¡¯s role is to facilitate implementation. In step with changes over time, the Secretariat has also evolved. Today we are proud to be geographically and culturally more representative than ever before, comprising staff from over 25 countries. And for the first time in our history, the Secretary-General is a woman and from the Global South. These changes reflect the evolving face of conservation: one that is global, inclusive, diverse, empathetic and deeply collaborative.?The foundation of the Secretariat remains strong, characterized by proven subject expertise, deep technical knowledge and unwavering dedication ¨C qualities that are consistently recognized by the Parties.

Over the past decades, CITES has developed and harnessed a suite of tools that help us navigate an increasingly complex landscape, not just to keep pace but to lead.?

The Convention is transforming decades of data into intelligence. CITES maintains one of the most robust datasets on international wildlife trade, reported by Parties over 40 years. The has reached over 25 million trade transactions. Tools like and are supporting real-time decisions on risk, trends and sustainability. Through the , we have provided long-term, field-based data and analyses for CITES Parties to help them make decisions about elephant conservation and management. , or eCITES systems, are increasingly facilitating digital permitting and integration into national single-window systems, improving transparency, traceability and efficiency in real time.?

Science continues to be the bedrock of the Convention. Most recently, numerous Parties, observers and independent experts developed an overarching NDF?guidance to ensure sustainability of trade in animals and plants. And the regulation of introduction from the sea or IFS, which is the landing of CITES-listed species taken from areas beyond national jurisdiction, is a unique challenge for Parties, and guidance is also being considered by CITES.

CITES is supporting compliance in smarter ways. With tailored approaches such as compliance action plans, case tracking, targeted technical missions and direct capacity-building, the Secretariat is assisting Parties in strengthening their legal and regulatory frameworks without a one-size-fits-all model.?Recommendations are meticulously developed to provide Parties with the best advice for more effective implementation and compliance with the Convention¡¯s provisions.

Regulating the trade and use of wildlife benefits people, planet, and prosperity, but this is seriously undermined by wildlife crime. CITES has taken, therefore, a leading role to combat wildlife crime.?Through the , direct support is provided to rangers, customs and police officers, prosecutors and other actors from across the criminal justice system. The use of forensic tools is increasingly mobilized, and there is a strong focus on addressing illicit financial flows, corruption risks, wildlife crime linked to the Internet, and much more.

In recent years, cross-sector dialogue has deepened. Whether it¡¯s engaging the fisheries and timber sectors, the pet and ornamental plant trade, or Indigenous Peoples and local communities, CITES continues to serve as a trusted forum for reconciling conservation and trade. We create a safe and neutral space for Parties to find common ground and engage in candid, non-polarizing and constructive dialogue, as exemplified by the ongoing African elephant and sustainable financing discussions, range State efforts on jaguar conservation and the multilateral coordination on totoaba conservation. These forums help build trust and consensus, enabling Parties to together navigate complex challenges and find solutions.?

As we reflect on the past, our gaze is also fixed firmly on the horizon - toward Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where the twentieth meeting of CoP will take place in November 2025. This CoP will not only mark a historic gathering in one of the world¡¯s oldest crossroads of culture and trade but also serve as a symbolic half-century waypoint in the ongoing evolution of CITES. Samarkand offers us a unique opportunity to reaffirm our shared commitment, tackle hard questions about the Convention¡¯s scope and sustainability, and refine how we prioritize and collaborate into the future. As we prepare for this critical meeting, we carry with us the lessons of 50 years, the momentum of recent progress, and the responsibility to chart a clear, united course for the decades ahead. The road to Samarkand is not just a destination; it is a call to action.

CITES is not a static agreement or self-sustaining. It is a living promise to invest in nature ¨C a commitment to the future, to each other and to the millions of species with whom we share this planet.

To all CITES Parties, CITES Management and Scientific Authorities, our donors, partners, observers, the Indigenous Peoples,?local communities, enforcement authorities and the youth of the world, thank you for being on this journey, and your invaluable contributions and tireless dedication that make this Convention stronger, smarter and more inclusive.

Let the next 50 years be marked by deeper unity, sharper focus and bolder action. Let us continue forward, learning from the past and working together to address gaps and leverage achievements to strengthen future conservation efforts. We must continue aiming high and build a world where wild animals and plants thrive in their natural habitats, where trade supports ¨C not threatens ¨C biodiversity, and where people and planet prosper in harmony.