ABSTRACT
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) addresses one of the sources of biodiversity depletion, the global trade in wildlife and wildlife products. Booming with globalization it is worth billions of dollars every year. CITES has been shaped by norms and ideas as much as power relations or economic interests: the concept of “endangered species” for instance was constructed through intense debates over the case of the African elephant or big whales, in particular the debate between conservation and preservation. CITES procedures tend to favor decisions based on reasoned arguments largely—if not unequivocally—science-based, as population assessments are usually disputed. The Conference of the Parties adopts or rejects proposals put forward by the Secretariat, based on scientific information and a large deliberation process, in line with the reinforced listing criteria adopted in 1994 at COP 9 in Fort Lauderdale.
