Media registration for the 17th Conference of Parties to Cites in South Africa opens
Media registration for the 17th Conference of Parties to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES COP17), to be hosted in Johannesburg in 2016, is open.
The Minister of Environmental Affairs, Mrs Edna Molewa, on 3 March 2016 signed the Host Country Agreement for CITES COP17 with the Secretary-General of CITES Mr John Scanlon on the margins of an international conference on wildlife crime in The Hague, in the Netherlands.
The Conference will be held in South Africa from 24 September to 5 October 2016.
South Africa was one of the first signatories to CITES in 1975 and continues to play an active role in the enforcement of the Convention.
At COP17 Parties will collectively evaluate the progress made since 2013, and take decisions on what additional measures are needed to end illicit wildlife trafficking.
It will also consider a number of proposals to bring additional species under CITES trade controls, as well as tackle issues concerning livelihoods, and the review of significant trade, traceability, and the effectiveness of CITES implementation, amongst other things.
Media wishing to register to attend the conference may do so by visiting:
https://cites.org/eng/cop/17/media-registration.php
For media queries contact:
Roopa Singh
Cell: 082 225 3076
