Image: Jayakar's Seahorse (Hippocampus jayakari) Godelieve Claes
CITES is a treaty deeply rooted in IUCN’s legacy of species conservation. The Convention was initiated following a resolution at IUCN’s 1963 General Assembly and this foundational involvement has evolved into a long-standing partnership, with IUCN continuing to support CITES through scientific expertise and implementation support.
Safeguarding nature and the natural resources that support human well-being and livelihoods requires coordinated global action, a commitment to sustainable resource use and informed decision making. CITES was conceived in the spirit of such cooperation and is among the conservation agreements with the largest memberships, currently comprising 185 Parties including the European Union.
IUCN is classified as an International Governmental Organization observer and widely viewed within the Convention as a provider of credible and unbiased scientific and technical advice on species. IUCN offers a unique array of scientific and technical expertise to CITES, and can bring the diverse perspectives of its worldwide membership to bear on complex issues before CITES Parties, at global, regional and national levels. IUCN also provides critical knowledge products, such as the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, to guide the Conventions monitoring and regulatory framework.
IUCN’s work with CITES includes:
- supporting Parties decision-making process through technical and scientific expert input.
- implementation of CITES Resolutions and Decisions.
- provision of capacity building, training, technical advice, policy tools, guidance material, and training resources to enable the Parties effective implementation of the Convention.
From 24 November to 5 December 2025, IUCN will participate in the 20th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES COP20) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
