Managua (Nicaragua),
29 June 2011 - At a meeting on new technologies
to ensure legal, sustainable and traceable
international wildlife trade, senior Customs
officers and authorities responsible for
implementing the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (CITES) discussed
the transition from paper to electronic
permitting systems. The new systems will
allow the harmonization of CITES and Customs
controls and data standards for a more efficient
tracing of an ever-growing trade in wildlife
products.
With the support of
the US Department of the Interior's Technical
Assistance Programme (ITAP), and in collaboration
with the Central American Commission on
Environment and Development (CCAD) and the
CITES Secretariat, over 30 participants
from Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic
gathered in Managua from 27 to 29 June to
discuss the implementation of national and
regional e-permitting systems, use of Single
Windows to organize better and offer access
to trade-related information, promote collaboration
with existing initiatives, and reinforce
the capacity of Customs to control and trace
international wildlife trade.
This meeting also resulted
from a unique and innovative partnership
by CITES Parties and international organizations
to strengthen capacities, introduce new
technologies and share and exchange experience
and expertise on new information and communication
technologies. It highlighted the critical
role of Customs in ensuring that trade in
CITES species remains legal and traceable.
Perhaps most important of all, the meeting
laid out a road map to develop joint funding
proposals to assist in the development of
national and regional CITES e-permitting
systems.
Brazilian experts offered
to share their know-how and to transfer
e-permitting technologies within the framework
of existing cooperation agreements. In addition,
countries with experience in the establishment
of single entry points for trade-related
information, usually called Single Windows,
also agreed to share and make available
their expertise. Parties were also invited
to participate in other new initiatives
that aim to facilitate validation of CITES
permit data by CITES Authorities and Customs
officials, such as the Electronic Permit
Information eXchange (EPIX), developed by
the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.
The CITES Secretary-General,
Mr. John E. Scanlon, described the results
of the meeting as "offering a taste
of the future for CITES implementation,
where CITES trade processes are fully electronic,
thereby enabling better control of trade
and delivering greater conservation benefits."
Mr Jason Riley, from
the US Department of the Interior (USDoI),
said that: "The United States is committed
to working with our trading partners in
Central America and the Dominican Republic
to strengthen implementation of CITES. I
am impressed by the energy and efforts of
my colleagues in the region to explore new
technologies for controlling trade in CITES-listed
species."
Ms Margarita Salazar
from CCAD, welcomed the participation of
the CITES Secretariat and thanked the financial
support provided by ITAP. She declared that:
"CCAD expects that the results of this
workshop will contribute significantly to
simplify administrative procedures to facilitate
the exchange of trade information on real
time."
Finally, participants
were introduced to new developments in electronic
commerce led by international organizations
such as the World Customs Organization (WCO)
and the United Nations Centre for Trade
Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT).
These organizations are key partners in
developing harmonized e-permitting systems
that are compliant with international standards
and norms.
