In 2000, CITES Parties first came together to adopt a Strategic Vision through 2005. The Strategic Vision has since been updated to reflect international developments. The current version of the Vision is found in the Annex to Resolution Conf. 16. 3 (Rev. CoP17) and will be replaced on 1 January 2021 by the Annex to Resolution Conf. 18.3. The twofold purpose of the Strategic Vision is to improve the working of the Convention, so that international trade in wild fauna and flora is conducted at sustainable levels; and to ensure that CITES policy developments are mutually supportive of international environmental priorities and take into account new international initiatives, consistent with the terms of the Convention.
Resolutions and Decisions
- Resolution Conf. 18.3 on CITES Strategic Vision: 2021-2030
- Resolution Conf. 16.3 (Rev. CoP17) on CITES Strategic Vision: 2008-2020
- Decisions 18.23 to 18.26 on CITES Strategic Vision
Linkages with other processes and the implementation report
The CITES Strategic Vision was updated in 2016 to make reference to the Sustainable Development Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The mapping of the objectives of the CITES Strategic Vision: 2008-2020 against the Aichi Targets in the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2010-2020 can be found here.
The indicators to measure progress with the CITES Strategic Vision: 2008–2020 (based in part on the implementation report) can be found here.
Moving forward
With the adoption of a new Strategic Vision until 2030, the Conference of the Parties has tasked the Secretariat to undertake a comparative analysis in order to illustrate the linkages between the adopted CITES Strategic Vision 2021-2030 and the goals within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and, once adopted, the post-2020 biodiversity framework; and to review the objectives of CITES Strategic Vision 2021-2030 against the current CITES Resolutions and Decisions. The Standing Committee, in collaboration with the Animals and Plants Committees, will make recommendations on new or revised indicators of progress to be included in the CITES Strategic Vision: 2021-2030, for consideration by the 19th meeting of the Conference of the Parties.
Evolution of the Strategic Vision
CITES Parties first adopted a Strategic Vision through 2005 and an accompanying Action Plan at the 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (Gigiri, 2000), through Decision 11.1. It was extended until 2007 and at the 13th meeting at the Conference of the Parties (Bangkok. 2004), through Decision 13.1. The Conference of the Parties, at its 14th meeting (The Hague, 2007), adopted a new CITES Strategic Vision: 2008-2013 through Resolution Conf. 14.2. This Resolution was replaced at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (Bangkok, 2013) by Resolution Conf. 16.3 which extended it to 2020 and added some amendments to reference the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. The CITES Strategic Vision: 2008-2020 was further amended at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (Johannesburg, 2016) to make reference to the Sustainable Development Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At the 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (Geneva, 2019), the Conference of the Parties adopted a new Strategic Vision 2021-2030 taking into account the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the post-2020 agenda.