Every three years, delegates from 185 countries and hundreds of NGOs meet for the CITES Conference of the Parties. These important meetings provide a crucial opportunity to discuss the protection of species that are threatened in international trade. The 20th Conference of the Parties (CoP20) begins today (November 24, 2025) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan and will run through December 5.
Born Free USA’s Direct of Global Conservation Programs, Alice Stroud, is at the CoP working alongside partners in West Africa to promote enhanced protections for imperiled species.
What Is CITES?
CITES is the United Nations Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species. CITES either prohibits international trade or ensures that international trade in protected animals and plants is regulated through a licensing system. There are more than 40,000 species of animals and plants listed in one of the three CITES Appendices:
- Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction. Commercial international trade is prohibited.
- Appendix II includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled. International trade is regulated.
- Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade.
Born Free USA’s Priorities at CITES CoP20
Protections for 40,000 species may seem quite a lot, but the truth is that it is far from enough.
Around 100 million animals and plants are traded globally every year, and around 1 million species are threatened with extinction due to human activity, including the commercial trade in wild animals and plants.
We must step up efforts to preserve and protect nature. This year, countries have submitted proposals that will impact more than 200 animal species, meaning that there will be a lot of work to do!
At Born Free USA, we know that no endangered or threatened species should be in commercial trade. We are working with partners in West Africa to protect key species:
- Sharks and vultures that are still in commercial trade despite being threatened by things like loss of habitat, over-exploitation for trade, and pollution.
- Nine species of vulnerable African hornbill birds that currently receive zero CITES protection despite being threatened by loss of habitat, local hunting, and increased international demand for their heads.
- Critically endangered black rhinoceros and endangered elephants that are threatened by proposals that would allow commercial trade in rhino horn and elephant ivory.
In addition to working for protections for these key species, we will also advocate for a more ambitious response in enforcement to ensure that we tackle wildlife crime effectively. Finally, we will push for more funding for CITES enforcement because CITES cannot be ambitious if it’s not adequately funded.
You Can Follow Along!
The CITES Conference is an important opportunity for the world to come together and make decisions about the future of wildlife.
Alice will be reporting regularly from CoP20 and you can follow along on social media and by visiting our CITES Hub.
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