SUCO at the 78th CITES Standing Committee Meeting
SUCO at the 78th CITES Standing Committee Meeting – Day 1
SUCO had a productive day at the 78th CITES Standing Committee meeting, engaging in networking with fellow organizations that support sustainable use and refining our strategic objectives for the rest of the meeting.
The day was heavily focused on administrative matters and logistical planning for the next meeting in Uzbekistan later this year, while Panama has once again offered to host COP21 in 2028.
SUCO delivered an intervention on CITES’ administrative overreach into zoonotic diseases. As a result, both SUCO and WRSA have been added to the working group tasked with discussing the way forward and CITES’ future role in this issue.
Today promises to be another intense day, with discussions on captive breeding and trade of non-wild-caught species taking centre stage. The afternoon session is dedicated entirely to elephants, though given the current delays, it remains uncertain whether we will reach this point in the agenda.
Pieter Swart
Chairman SUCo-SA
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7 Februarie 2025
Good morning from a rather cold Geneva. Apologies for the sporadic feedback, but it is a very demanding event.
The CITES Standing Committee meeting itself is very technical, with more agenda items than time allows.
The SC reviews and recommends proposals to CoP , and therefore it is important for our preparations for the CoP and to identify and address issues that may impact us.
We start early mornings with preparatory meetings with like-minded organisations from around the world, and lunch and evenings are taken up with more meetings, working groups and presentations.
These are vital for information gathering and networking. As at previous events the SUCo delegation as representatives of actual business whose rights to trade is impacted by CITES is contributing and making an impact on various levels.
