Notification to the Parties

No. 1999/18 Geneva, 12 March 1999

CONCERNING:

Executive Summary of decisions taken
at the 41st meeting of the Standing Committee

1. The 41st meeting of the Standing Committee took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 8 to 12 February 1999.

2. An Executive Summary of the decisions taken at the meeting is annexed to the present Notification.

3. A more detailed report of the meeting will be distributed in due course.

 

Executive summary of decisions taken by the
Standing Committee at its 41st meeting

 

Agenda item 3	Adoption of the Agenda
	The provisional agenda was adopted and two items of additional business were added to the previously listed item of discussion of the CITES letterhead: discussion of a report by the Ape Alliance (on trade in bush-meat) and a report on sturgeons and derivatives.
Agenda item 4	Rules of Procedure
	The Rules of Procedure as proposed were adopted with amendments to Rules 16 and 25.
	Rule 16
	Meetings of the Committee shall be called at the request of the Chairman or of a simple majority of the members.
	Rule 25
	A concise executive summary of the decisions of the Standing Committee shall be prepared by the Secretary and endorsed by the Standing Committee before the closure of each meeting.
Agenda item 5	Implementation of the Agreement between the Standing Committee and the Executive Director of UNEP
	The Committee accepted the report and information provided on relations with UNEP.
Agenda item 6	Finance and administration
	It was agreed to instruct the Secretariat to omit from future documents on financial issues the columns referring to contributions due for 1991 and prior years.
Agenda item 6.f)	Additional funds for priority activities in 1999
	The Committee approved the allocation of CHF 588,000 for new budget lines, as follows:
	- Assistance to Scientific Authorities	70,000
	- Newsletter	23,000
	- Tiger Missions	150,000
	- Botswana - verification mission and monitoring of ivory sales/shipments	65,000
	- MIKE (start-up phase)	140,000
	- IUCN (analysis of proposals for COP11)	140,000
Agenda item 6.g)	CITES banking arrangements
	The Committee requested UNEP to investigate additional possibilities for increasing the yield on invested funds.
Agenda item 6.i)	Permit confirmation
	The Committee noted that there was a general preference for option b) of the alternatives in paragraph 28 of document Doc. SC.41.3.1, but noted that there were concerns regarding the short-term effects of this option.
	The Secretariat was instructed to prepare immediately a revision of its Notifications to the Parties and other communications regarding permit confirmation, with a view to issuing revisions to the Parties by 12 March 1999, including comprehensive advice on the countries or species regarding which confirmation of permits should be sought as a matter of routine.
	It was agreed that the two posts designated within the Secretariat for permit confirmation should immediately be reduced to one post, and filled as a temporary position.
	The Committee agreed to revisit the issue at its 42nd meeting with a paper prepared by the Secretariat on how to proceed in light of the views expressed at the 41st meeting and subsequent experiences. The document should provide specific targets with respect to the Secretariat's advice, for example a time limit on the response to enquiries.
Agenda item 7	Planning
Agenda item 7.a)	Preparation of the Strategic Plan for the Convention
	With regard to the preparation of the Strategic Plan for the Convention, it was decided to:
	1. proceed on the basis of the working document presented in document Doc. SC.41.4, requesting the Working Group to report to the 42nd meeting of the Standing Committee;
	2. instruct the Secretariat to circulate the document to all Parties and to request that they submit comments to the Secretariat in order that they may be considered by the Working Group;
	3. request the Working Group to consider, in addition to any comments from the Parties, the comments made at this meeting, particularly those of the regional representatives to the Standing Committee;
	4. expand the original Working Group to include representatives from the Animals and Plants Committees and France.
Agenda Item 7.b)	Implementation of the Action Plan
Decision 10.59	The Committee agreed to merge the process for preparing a Strategic Plan with the implementation of the Action Plan. The Working Group dealing with the Strategic Plan would therefore need to consult the Nomenclature Committee and the Identification Manual Committee in order to include representatives at least in a consulting capacity.
Decision 10.60	Regarding the consolidation of Resolutions, the Secretariat was asked to give priority to technical Resolutions in a paper to be presented to the 42nd meeting of the Standing Committee.
Decision 10.61	The Committee noted the comments made by regional representatives and requested the Secretariat to issue updated guidance to the members of the Standing Committee concerning their role both as members of the Committee and as regional representatives.
Decision 10.62	The Committee agreed to establish a Finance Subcommittee, which would meet one day before the next meeting of the Standing Committee in order to consider financial questions. The Subcommittee would comprise one representative from each region, plus the representative of Switzerland in its capacity as the host country of the Secretariat.
Agenda item 8	Issues relating to species
Agenda item 8.a)	Elephants
	The Committee decided that Japan had complied with the relevant conditions stipulated in Decision 10.1, Part A.
	The Committee decided that Namibia had met the conditions of Decision 10.1, Part A, paragraphs a), e) and f).
	The Committee decided that Zimbabwe had met the conditions of Decision 10.1, Part A, paragraphs a), e) and f).
	The Committee decided that the Secretariat should conduct a mission as soon as possible to Botswana to verify that condition a) of Decision 10.1, Part A had been met. Verification would be confirmed by the Chairman of the Standing Committee. The Committee also decided that Botswana had met conditions e) and f) of the Decision.
	The Committee agreed to:
	1. further develop and introduce MIKE, in co-operation with IUCN and range States, on the basis of proposals submitted in document Doc. SC.41.6.3;
	2. note the concerns expressed by some African range States and other Parties; reaffirm the need to monitor and strengthen the dialogue process and request the Secretariat to convene a fourth meeting of the range State Dialogue before the 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties;
	3. establish a subgroup of the Standing Committee (comprising Saudi Arabia [Chairman], Burkina Faso, South Africa, Thailand and United States of America] to oversee, on its behalf, the further development, refinement and implementation of MIKE, in collaboration with IUCN and the Secretariat and to report back to the next meeting of the Standing Committee; and
	4. welcome offers by the European Commission, Japan and the United States of America to provide financing for MIKE and call on other donors, including intergovernmental bodies and GEF, to make resources urgently available to fund MIKE.
	The Committee agreed to the operational procedure contained in document Doc. SC.41.6.4 (Rev. 2) as the basis for implementation of paragraph g) of Decision 10.1, Part A.
	The Committee instructed the Secretariat to provide a document indicating the action it would take to monitor the sale and shipment of the authorized export of raw ivory. This document was provided as Doc. SC.41.6.5.
	It was agreed that all the conditions in Decision 10.1, Part, A had been met to authorize the experimental commercial trade from Namibia and Zimbabwe to Japan.
Agenda item 8.d)	Significant trade (Resolution Conf. 8.9)
	The Committee accepted recommendations of the Secretariat with respect to Ptyas mucosus, Lynx lynx and Strombus gigas (document Doc. SC.41.9).
Agenda item 9	Implementation of the Convention in individual countries
Agenda item 9.a)	Greece
	It was decided that Greece had met the requirements specified at the meeting of the Standing Committee and that the recommendation conveyed to the Parties in Notification 1998/35 (that Parties not issue permits and certificates for trade to Greece and not accept documents issued by Greece), would be withdrawn from 1 March 1999. The withdrawal is subject to verification by the Secretariat, in consultation with the Chairman of the Standing Committee, of the relevant Greek legislation in a working language of the Convention.
Agenda Item 9.b)	Implementation of Decisions 10.18 and 10.64
	It was agreed that Malaysia-Sabah and Nicaragua had complied with the requirements of Decision 10.18, paragraph b).
Agenda Item 9.b) i)	Democratic Republic of the Congo
	Regarding the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Committee agreed to:
	1. defer a decision regarding the suspension of trade in CITES specimens with the Democratic Republic of the Congo until after a review of information at the 43rd meeting of the Standing Committee;
	2. request the Secretariat to advise all Parties to be especially vigilant in checking permits and certificates for trade from the Democratic Republic of the Congo;
	3. request the Secretariat to contact the authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo with a view to conducting a technical and training mission to this country to assist in the preparation of legislation to implement CITES;
	4. request the Executive Director of UNEP to appeal to all involved in the civil conflict to respect wildlife; and
	5. request the members of the African region on the Standing Committee to provide counsel and assistance to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Agenda Item 9.b) ii)	Egypt
	The Committee agreed to recommend that trade in CITES specimens with Egypt should be suspended from 30 September 1999 unless the Secretariat verifies in the meantime that Egypt has enacted legislation that generally meets the requirements of CITES.
Agenda item 9.b) iii)	Guyana
	The Committee agreed to recommend that trade in CITES specimens with Guyana should be suspended from 30 September 1999 unless the Secretariat verifies in the meantime that Guyana has enacted legislation that generally meets the requirements of CITES.
Agenda Item 9.b) iv)	Indonesia
	It was agreed that Indonesia had complied with the requirements of Decision 10.18, paragraph b).
Agenda Item 9.b) v)	Senegal
	The Committee agreed to defer until 30 September 1999 the suspension of trade in CITES specimens with Senegal and that there would be no such suspension if the 42nd meeting of the Standing Committee agreed, on a recommendation from the Secretariat, that Senegal's enacted legislation generally meets the requirements for the implementation of CITES.
Agenda items 9.c),	Progress report on the national legislation project
9.f), 9.g)	Designation of Management and Scientific Authorities
Late submission of annual reports
	These were noted as being for information only.
Agenda item 9.d)	Stricter domestic measures
	The Committee agreed that the Secretariat should arrange a study of stricter domestic measures, subject to donor funding. A request will be made to IUCN to carry out the survey at their expense.
Agenda item 9.e)	Enforcement matters
	The Committee decided to include this subject on the Agenda of its 42nd meeting and to review at that time comments received from the Parties.
Agenda item 10.b)	Future meetings of the Conference of the Parties: Organizational and procedural arrangements
	This was noted as being for information only.
Agenda item 11	Issues relating to the appendices
Agenda item 11.a)	Use of annotations in the appendices
	The Committee decided to forward the draft resolution prepared by the working group for consideration at the 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties.
Agenda item 11.b)	Review of the criteria for amendment of Appendices I and II
	The Committee agreed to request the Chairmen of the Animals and Plants Committees to prepare terms of reference for undertaking the review of the criteria for amending Appendices I and II, pursuant to Resolution Conf. 9.24, and to report these terms of reference to the Conference of the Parties at its 11th meeting.
	It was further agreed to request the Chairmen of both Committees to jointly oversee this review in time for them to consider the findings and develop any recommendations for consideration at the 12th meeting of the Conference of the Parties.
	Both Committees were encouraged to consult with international technical bodies, such as FAO and COFI, whilst ensuring that the work plan for the review remains a CITES process.
Agenda item 11.c)	Timber Working Group
	This was noted as being for information only.
Agenda item 12	Approval of new projects
	The Committee approved new project proposals in principle, subject to clarification on methodology and budget and decided to review project S-99/06-P (Mantella) at the 42nd meeting. The Committee also approved Fundación Naturalia as a donor.
Agenda items 13	Cross-border movement of live animals
and 15	CITES Implementation Manual
	These were noted as being for information only.
Agenda item 16	Synergy between the biodiversity-related conventions and relations with other organizations
	The Committee decided to defer discussion of this question, synergy between the biodiversity-related conventions (Decision 10.63) and relations with other organizations, to its 42nd meeting.
Agenda item 17	Organization of work of the Committee until CoP 11: Time and venue of the next meeting
	The Committee accepted the offer of Portugal to host the 42nd meeting of the Standing Committee. This would be held during the week beginning 27 September 1999.
Agenda item 18	Any other business
Agenda item 18.a)	Letterhead on CITES Notifications
	As an interim arrangement, the Committee requested that the original CITES letterhead should be used by the CITES Secretariat for all Notifications to the Parties; the UNEP letterhead could continue to be used for other communications. Furthermore, it decided that the question of a permanent CITES letterhead should be resolved at the 42nd meeting of the Standing Committee, after a discussion of not more than one hour.
Agenda items 18.b)	Bushmeat
and 18.c)	Sturgeons
	These items were noted as being for information only.