CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
CITES is an international agreement to which Parties (countries) adhere voluntarily. Although CITES is legally binding on the Parties – in other words they have to implement the Convention – it does not take the place of national laws. Rather it provides a framework to be respected by each Party, which has to adopt its own domestic legislation to ensure that CITES is implemented at the national level.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is the management authority for CITES in the United States.
To learn more, contact Joe O'Donnell, Senior Director, Government and Public Affairs: joe@iwpawood.org