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.
What happens in the negotiating halls of CoP20 will determine whether decades of progress in curbing poaching and illegal wildlife trade are strengthened or rolled back. EIA campaigners will be in Samarkand to ensure that the voices of wildlife, communities and frontline defenders are heard.
EIA’s evidence over the years has shown time and time again that a legal ivory trade cannot be part of the solution to protecting elephants – it just doesn’t work. While most major markets have closed in recent years, Japan has been holding tightly onto its ivory industry and its ivory market remains open. But right now, Japan has the opportunity to turn its stance around.
While most countries previously regarded as major ivory consumers have already taken steps to close their markets for commercial trade in ivory, Japan alone still authorizes a significant legal market for commercial trade in a wide variety of ivory items. Domestic legal markets are vulnerable to the risks associated with illegal international trade in ivory, particularly the illegal export of ivory to other countries.
Covering one packed agenda, four interventions and six hectic days, EIA campaigners share the highlights from CITES SC78 in Geneva.