Uzbekistan to Host Major Global Summit on Wildlife Trade Protections

Delegates from around the world will gather in Samarkand on November 24 for the 20th Conference of the Parties (CoP20) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), a key global forum regulating trade in threatened wildlife.

The two-week meeting will debate dozens of proposals that could strengthen or weaken protections for species ranging from elephants, giraffes and rhinos to sharks, sea cucumbers, tarantulas and rare reptiles. Conservation groups warn that attempts to reopen trade in elephant ivory and rhino horn pose a serious threat to already declining populations.

«This conference could offer a ray of light for many species under pressure from overexploitation,» said Tanya Sanerib, international legal director at the U.S.-based Center for Biological Diversity, which will send experts to Samarkand.

CoP20 will also review Mexico’s compliance with measures to protect the critically endangered vaquita and totoaba, and consider whether to launch new work on pangolins, lions, aquarium fish and other species.

The summit runs until December 5 and is one of the largest international environmental events ever hosted by Uzbekistan.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Despite efforts by Kazakhstan’s national rail company KTZ to prioritise grain wagons, Uzbekistan is struggling to unload incoming shipments on time. This has caused wagon standstills and increased turnover on Central Asian routes.