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| • | CITES Secretary-General's keynote address at the 58th General Assembly of the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation |
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| • | From paper permits to electronic technologies for better tracing wildlife trade in a globalized economy |
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| • | CITES and the UN International Year of Forests 2011 |
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| Message from the Secretary-General on illicit trade in orang-utans The Secretariat has received a large number of letters, e-mails and post cards concerning the illicit trade in orang-utans. I would like to respond to these messages by stating that all instances of illegal trade in Appendix-I listed species are taken very seriously, and we have been in contact with the authorities involved in these cases. We have encouraged the relevant national authorities responsible for implementing the Convention to do their utmost to complete outstanding investigations and to dispose of the confiscated live specimens in the best interests of the conservation of the species and in accordance with the CITES guidelines for the disposal of confiscated live animals recommended in Resolution Conf. 10.7. If, after consultation, the countries of confiscation and the countries of origin agree that repatriation is the preferred option, such actions will be expensive to implement. I would encourage non-governmental organizations concerned with the welfare of these animals to work closely with the relevant authorities and to support such actions financially. Willem Wijnstekers |