Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES
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by
scott
The 25 November 2025 marks the opening of the 20th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP20), held this year in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Thousands of participants are attending, including world leaders, wildlife authorities from 170 countries, and representatives from 228 international animal and environmental organizations. Save Elephant Foundation is honored to join this important gathering as an observer.
The two-week conference will focus on strengthening global protections for wildlife trade, covering more than 250 species. Key proposals include measures for marine animals, okapi, hyenas, civets, saiga antelopes, as well as elephants and many others. Key agenda items include compliance, improvements in law enforcement, and discussions on amendments to the CITES Appendices to better protect endangered species from illegal wildlife trade and habitat loss.
This year, elephants are once again at the center of the conversation, with topics such as the trade of elephants, poaching, and the ivory market included in the agenda. There is much to follow, especially on issues related to elephants — an issue our founder has long worked on, fighting for their welfare, well-being and their right to live safely.
I sincerely hope that this CITES meeting will bring positive news and stronger protections for both Asian and African elephants. – Saengduean Lek Chailert