CITES as a Tool for Sustainable Development

CITES as a Tool for Sustainable Development Book Launch and Expert Legal Roundtable was held on Thursday October 19th 2023. The virtual event was a celebration of the launch of a new world-leading volume published by Cambridge University Press, CITES as a Tool for Sustainable Development. The book launch and roundtable brought together a distinguished panel of experts and featured prominent figures in the field. Experts explored pathways for wildlife trade law and policy to make meaningful contributions to the advancement of sustainable development, and explored case studies of specific wildlife species and commodities. The event was co-chaired by Prof Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger (Chair, BLGI & Senior Director, CISDL / Visiting Chair in SD Law & Policy, Univ Cambridge / Prof, Univ Victoria), Professor Jorge Cabrera (Univ Costa Rica UCR in San Jose/ Lead Counsel); and Dr David Andrew Wardell (Principal Scientist, CIFOR-ICRAF). The event was moderated by Ms Michelle Anagnostou (PhD Cand, Univ of Waterloo).

An opening keynote was delivered by Ms Ivonne Higuero, the Secretary-General of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). A closing keynote was delivered by Dr Éliane Ubalijoro, Chief Executive Officer of the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) and Director General of ICRAF.

The first Roundtable Discussion included Mr John E. Scanlon AO (CEO, Elephant Protection Initiative Foundation/ Chair, Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime/ Chair, UK Government’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund); Dr Marcos Regis da Silva (Special Advisor, Silverlining); and Prof Adeshola Olatunde Adepoju (Prof, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria; Chair / International Coordinating Council, MAB-ICC / Senior Advisor, to the Honourable Minister of Environment). The second Roundtable Discussion included Prof Laura Elizondo García (Prof, Univ of Costa Rica); Dr Daniel W.S. Challender (Research Fellow, Univ of Oxford); and Mr Stephen Johnson (Technical Advisor, Consultant, FairSource Botanicals). The third Roundtable Discussion included Prof Carlos Antonio Marti Soria Dall'Orso (Env lawyer, Pontifical Catholic Univ of Peru); and Dr Denis Ruysschaert (Faculty Lead, Geneva Graduate Institute/ VP, SWISSAID).

The event was coordinated by Ms Michelle Anagnostou (PhD Cand, Univ of Waterloo), and Ms Lydia Young (Coordinator, BLGI, CISDL / JD Cand, Univ of Victoria).

#SustainableDevelopmentLaw #CITES