Rural communities in certain parts of the world depend heavily on species of wild animals and plants for their livelihoods. Parties to CITES recognize the potential impacts of CITES-listing decisions on the livelihoods of rural communities, noting inthe meantime that effective implementation of CITES decisions can form part of a strategy to provide sustainable livelihoods for rural communities, consistent with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [Resolution Conf. 16.6 (Rev. CoP17)].
To better assess potential positive and negative impacts of CITES listing decisions and enhance sustainable livelihoods and species conservation, CITES Parties created a working group with the mandate to develop tools for a sustainable implementation of CITES listings. The current focus is to identify how legal and sustainable trade contributes to both species conservation and livehlihoods of rural communities.
Resolutions, Decisions and Notifications to the Parties
- Resolution Conf. 16.6 (Rev. CoP18) CITES and livelihoods
- Decisions 18.33 to 18.37 Livelihoods
- Notification to the Parties No. 2020/029 New case studies on CITES and livelihoods
Tools and Resources
- CITES and Livelihoods Handbook
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- CITES and livelihoods factsheet
- CITES Toolkit & Guidelines factsheet
A conservation journey
From Poachers to Heroes
In 2018, over 30 new case studies were collected from countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America and South America, including small island developing States such as the Solomon Islands. These case studies involve the sustainable use of a wide range of species, from mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish to corals and medicinal aromatic plants, and they were reviewed at a workshop in November 2018.
The following 10 case studies have been selected from the cases reviewed at the workshop and they were presented at a side event on the margins of CoP18.
- Vicuña fibre harvesting and trade in Bolivia (factsheet, full report)
- Saltwater Crocodile harvest and trade in Australia (factsheet, full report)
- Pirarucu harvesting and trade in Brazil (factsheet, full report)
- Inuit harvest and trade of Polar Bear in Canada (factsheet, full report)
- Snowdrop harvesting and trade in Georgia (factsheet, full report)
- Harvest and trade of Nile Crocodiles in Kenya (factsheet, full report)
- Bighorn Sheep hunting and trophy trade in Mexico (factsheet, full report)
- Yellow-spotted River Turtle harvest and trade in Peru (factsheet, full report)
- Cape Aloe harvesting and trade in South Africa (factsheet, full report)
- Ibex and Markhor trophy hunting in Tajikistan (factsheet, full report)
Decision 18.33 adopted at the 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties continues to call for new case studies on how legal and sustainable trade can support the conservation of wildlife and improvement of livelihoods of rural communities.
Notification to the Parties No. 2020/029 invites Parties to submit such case studies by using the standard template.
Other resources
- CITES and Livelihoods meeting (23-25 November 2016, George, South Africa): Press release | Agenda (pdf)
- CITES Livelihoods side event at the 66th Standing Committee meeting (Geneva, Switzerland, 11 January 2016) - Side event presentations:
- A framework to improve biodiversity and livelihoods outcomes (by Michael 't Sas-Rolfes, IUCN SULi)
- ITC technical assistance to CITES Parties (by Alexander Kasterine, ITC)
- Transferencia del apéndice II de la población de Crocodylus acutus (Cuvier, 1807) de la Bahía de Cispatá, Colombia (by Giovanni Ulloa, ASOCAIMAN)
- CITES and Livelihoods Working Group meeting (Cispatá, Colombia, 11-13 February 2015): Report in English and Spanish
- Organization of American States (OAS) - Environmental Law, Policy and Governance Branch
- IUCN Sustainable Use and Livelihoods (SULi) Specialist Group
