The CITES Convention (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. It aims to ensure that international trade in wildlife samples does not threaten the survival of the species. The CITES Convention was developed as a result of a resolution adopted in 1969 at a meeting of members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the text of the Convention was finally agreed upon at a meeting of representatives of 80 nations in Washington, D.C., United States of America, on March 2, 1975, and opened for signature on March 3, 1975. The CITES Convention entered into force on July 1, 1975. Egypt is a member of the CITES Convention on the Regulation of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and Egypt officially joined the Convention in 1978. The General Authority for Veterinary Services (Ministry of Agriculture) and the Ministry of Environment are responsible for implementing the provisions of the Convention and controlling the trade in the listed species.
The CITES provisions regulate international trade in endangered species through a strict permit system, classifying species into appendices (I, II, and III) according to the threat level, with each appendage requiring specific conditions for obtaining import and export permits (such as certificates of origin and health).
Classification of species in Appendix I: Highest level of protection, for critically endangered species, trade is almost prohibited, and import/export permits are granted very rarely., Appendix II: Species may become endangered if their trade is not regulated. Regulated trade is permitted under conditions (export permit and certificate of origin) that prove the legality of the origin and that do not affect the survival of the species., and Annex III: types requested by a particular country to help regulate its trade, and require an export permit from that country and a certificate of origin from other countries.
Since the trade of wild animals and plants estimates the value of the international wildlife trade annually in billions of dollars and exceeds the borders of States, their regulation requires international cooperation to protect certain species from excessive exploitation, and the Saites Convention has been developed in the spirit of such cooperation, and today the Convention provides varying degrees of protection to more than 40,000 species of wild animals and plants, whether traded as wild animals or protected by the use of wildlife.
The importance of application: by halting overexploitation: the Convention establishes strict controls on international trade in endangered species (e.g., tiger, gorilla and rose trees) to protect them from extinction due to global demand and classify them in supplements that determine the levels of protection, from total prohibition (unitary annex I) to organized trade (annex II), from illicit trade where they help to cooperate with national law enforcement agencies (s of origin and conservation).
The importance of the application of the Cates Convention is reflected in the following aspects:
- Prevention of extinction: The Convention ensures that international trade does not threaten the survival of the species listed in its supplements, where stringent restrictions or total prohibition are imposed on the trade of the most vulnerable species (Annex I).
-مكافحة الجرائم البرية: توفر إطاراً قانونياً دولياً لمكافحة الاتجار غير المشروع، الذي يُعد من أكثر الأنشطة الإجرامية ربحية عالمياً، وتشدد الدول الأعضاء (185 دولة حتى فبراير 2025) العقوبات والرقابة لردع المهربين.
-الاستخدام المستدام: تنظم التجارة في الأنواع التي ليست مهددة بالانقراض حالياً (الملحق الثاني) لضمان بقاء مستويات استغلالها ضمن حدود مستدامة لا تضر بالنظم البيئية.
-تعافي الأنواع: ساهم التطبيق الفعال للاتفاقية في قصص نجاح بارزة بحلول عام 2025، مثل تعافي أعداد نمر سيبريا واستعادة المها أبو حراب في تشاد بعد أن كان منقرضاً في البرية.
-التتبع الرقمي: شهد عام 2025 تعزيز أنظمة التتبع الرقمي للتحقق من تصاريح “سايتس”، مما يرفع كفاءة الرقابة الحدودية ويمنع التزوير.
-التوازن البيئي: من خلال حماية الأنواع، تساهم الاتفاقية في الحفاظ على التنوع البيولوجي الذي تعتمد عليه البشرية في الغذاء، وسبل العيش، ومواجهة آثار التغير المناخي.
ختاماً باختصار، تُعد سايتس أداة حاسمة للحفاظ على الأنواع، حيث تحول التجارة من تهديد إلى أداة للإدارة المستدامة، وتساهم في تحقيق أهداف التنوع البيولوجي العالمية. حيث تُعد اتفاقية “سايتس” (CITES) ركيزة أساسية للحفاظ على الحياة البرية في عام 2025، حيث تحمي أكثر من 40,900 نوع من الحيوانات والنباتات من خطر الاستغلال المفرط الناتج عن التجارة الدولية.
Dr. Atef Mohamed Kamel Ahmed - Goodwill Ambassador - Founder of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Ain Shams University - Assistant Professor and Vice-Chancellor for Community Service and Environmental Development and Founder and Head of the Department of Wildlife and Zoos - Member of the Scientific and Administrative Committee of CITES - International Expert in Wildlife, Nature Reserves and Biodiversity at UNESCO - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
