CITES came into force on 1 July 1975. In this section, you will see how the Convention is implemented by the CITES Management and Scientific Authorities, the Customs, Police and other relevant agencies in the 173 member countries (known as Parties) through the issuance of CITES permits and certificates, law enforcement, training, public awareness activities, etc. The objectives of the Convention can only be achieved with effective regional and international cooperation among the Parties and synergy between CITES and other relevant international treaties and organizations. The section of this site on "Global Visions" illustrates international cooperation in CITES implementation.