Why in the news?

  • The CoP20  CITES has concluded in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, marking the 50th anniversary of the Convention.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

  • Also known as: Washington Convention.
  • Adopted: 1973; Entered into force: 1 July 1975.
  • Aim: To ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival in the wild.
  • Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
  • Secretariat: Provided by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
  • Membership
    • Total Members:  ~184 Parties (as of 2024).
    • India: Became a party in 1976.
  • Key Features
    • Legally binding: Parties are obligated to adopt domestic legislation to enforce CITES, though it does not replace national laws.
    • Trade regulation: Controls trade through a system of permits and certificates.
    • Species listings: Species are listed in three Appendices:
      • Appendix I: Species threatened with extinction — trade permitted only in exceptional circumstances (e.g., tigers, Asian elephants).
      • Appendix II: Species not necessarily threatened but may become so unless trade is strictly regulated (e.g., certain orchids, corals).
      • Appendix III: Species protected in at least one country that has requested assistance in controlling trade.

Uzbekistan

  • Location: Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country located in Central Asia.
  • Capital: Tashkent
  • Border Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan.
  • Bordering Waterbodies: Aral Sea
  • Geography: Part of the Eurasian Steppe or the Great Steppe.
  • Climatic Type: Continental Climate
  • Major International Groupings: Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and hosts the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent.

Source: Down To Earth