A clear outcome from CoP20 is that support for the closure of domestic ivory markets, and monitoring of those that remain open, stands. EIA strongly urges Japan to close its domestic ivory market to align itself with most elephant range States and former leading consumer countries.
With the exception of the outcome for saiga, CoP20 delivered positive outcomes for EIA’s focal species, which mostly involved preventing any backwards slide in the level of protection afforded by CITES.
In 2025, the Environmental Investigation Agency US continued to prove that bold action and relentless investigation can drive lasting change.
A shocking South African court ruling earlier this month appeared to allow private citizens to export rhino horns using an obscure exemption to international trade rules. EIA will be closely following developments on this case and supporting local stakeholders fighting against opening the floodgates to rhino horn trade.
Issue 3 of our Illegal Trade Bulletin series distills the key outcomes from policy discussions at the Meeting of the Parties (MOP) to the Montreal Protocol, spotlights a recent international enforcement success, and highlights a new report on licensing systems.
ExCom97 presents a critical opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of collaborative multilateralism and advance cost-effective climate and ozone mitigation, at a time when global action is more urgent than ever.