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<< Notifications of 1999

Notification to the Parties

No. 1999/93 Geneva, 30 November 1999

CONCERNING:

Monitoring of illegal hunting of elephants and National reporting forms
on illegal killing of elephants and enforcement actions

1. This Notification applies to African and Asian elephant range States only.

2. Decision 10.1 of the Conference of the Parties calls for the establishment of an international system for reporting and monitoring illegal hunting within elephant range States, through an international database in the CITES Secretariat.

3. At its 40th meeting (3-6 March 1998, London, United Kingdom), the Standing Committee instructed the Secretariat to distribute to the Parties its "Incident report form on illegal hunting of elephants", to initiate the collection of data that could provide an early warning of poaching problems. The Secretariat distributed this form to the Parties as Notification to the Parties No. 1998/10 of 31 March 1998.

4. The Secretariat is disappointed at the generally low number of responses that have been received to its request for information, especially since media reports indicate incidents of poaching in a number of elephant range States. Full participation in the monitoring and reporting systems is essential if an accurate overview of poaching is to be obtained.

5. Attached is another copy of an "Incident report form on illegal hunting of elephants". Parties should use this form to submit information to the Secretariat on individual cases of illegal hunting. This is primarily an operational form, designed to prompt the gathering of information that may aid in co-ordinating efforts against illegal hunting. It is acknowledged that some parts of the form seek information that may be regarded as sensitive and confidential. Parties are of course free to choose how fully they complete each part of the form. CITES Management Authorities may wish to consider the possibility of the form being completed by enforcement agencies. On receipt of completed forms, the Secretariat's Enforcement Assistance Unit will collate the information received and provide it to appropriate bodies, such as ICPO-Interpol and the World Customs Organization, with a view to aiding Parties in their actions to combat illegal hunting.

6. The "National reporting form on illegal killing of elephants" was distributed with Notification to the Parties No. 1998/30 of 30 June 1998 (copy and explanatory notes attached). The form was designed for the collection of data on an annual basis. Only four elephant range States have submitted a National reporting form. Parties are again encouraged to submit this information, as soon as possible, and are requested to include data for the period June 1998 - November 1999.

7. The Secretariat is also distributing herewith a "National reporting form for enforcement actions", which is designed to allow Parties to provide data that many, if not most, Parties collect on an annual basis.

8. The Secretariat emphasizes that each of the reporting forms is an important element in its commitment to monitoring poaching and acquiring meaningful data. Parties are, once again, encouraged to participate fully by promptly submitting forms.

9. Notification to the Parties No. 1998/30 of 30 June 1998 is cancelled.