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African countries not to leave CITES despite challenges: S. African minister

Xinhua, September 30, 2016 Adjust font size:

African countries will not leave the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) even if decisions made are not in their favour, South African Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa said on Thursday.

There has been some discomfort among Southern African countries when their attempt to make a decision mechanism to decide on the future ivory sale was rejected by the CITES Committee, Molewa told Xinhua on the sidelines of the 17th Conference of Parties (Cop 17) to CITES taking place in Johannesburg.

Many delegates are also against some of the positions preferred by some countries in Southern Africa, including a ban on trophy hunting and a ban on trade in rhino horns and elephants ivory, according to the minister.

"We have not discussed it (leaving CITES) and we will battle it out here as we feel it is the way to do. Africa has a strong voice to say at CITES, after all we are the owners of most of the flora and fauna which are being discussed here," Molewa said.

She said African countries have been holding various bilateral meetings on the sidelines of CoP17 to canvass support on their positions at the conference.

She expressed satisfaction that they managed to get a compromise on trophy hunting, saying it is because of their meetings in the corridors, contacts groups and lobbying.

Referring to closing domestic markets for ivory, she said: "We are still within our mandate regarding decisions about uplisting of elephants and lions.

"As far as we are concerned there will be serious compromise. Closure of domestic market as a blanket ban is not going to happen because it is against the CITES mandate. As long as CITES is within its confines and mandate, we do not see anything wrong."

The minister said CITES should be involved in the regulation of domestic market only if there is a link between legal domestic trade and illegal ones.

Molewa said if this happens, a particular country should be called upon to rectify the problem rather than to use the same prescription for every country.

"We have argued our position and we hope we have been heard. There is a provision in the CITES rules which say if any country is not happy with a decision which has been taken, they can put a reservation," she said. Endit