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CITES e-permitting and Single Windows

Single Window Conference, 2015Brazzaville, Congo

CITES Secretariat

1. What is CITES?

2. Why e-permitting and Single Windows?

3. How – CITES e-permitting approach

Today’s talk

CITES: conservation and trade

“CITES stands at the intersection between

trade, environment and development,

… ensures that no species in international trade is

threatened with extinction”

(Outcome document Rio+20)

• Over 35,000 species* are regulated by CITES

• Species listed on 3 Appendices

How CITES works

* Live, dead, parts, and derivatives

Appendix 1International commercial trade is generally prohibited

Appendix 2 + 3International commercial trade is allowed but regulated

How CITES works

3% of species

• A multi billion-dollar business• Parties issue

>1 million permitsper annum

97% of species

Essentials of CITES regulation

• Trade must be legal

• Trade must be sustainable

• Trade must be traceable– CITES Permits and Certificates

(common standards)

– Trade must be reported (CITES Trade Database)

(CITES “Model export permit”, Annex 2, Resolution Conf. 12.3)

CITES interest in e-permitting

• CITES permits and certificates representeda mature, stable, universally recognized and adopted system

• BUT… a number of developments were impacting on this environment

Increasing volume of CITES trade

Over 15 million trade records (CITES Trade Database)

Increasing use of information technology

Global trends:‘paperless’ trade & Single Window

Customs processing

Increasing e-commerce

Increasing scale of illicit wildlife trade

Illegal wildlife trade

• Increasing scale – USD 20-100 million per year for illicitly-traded wildlife and forest products

• Changing nature – an organized, transnational crime with criminal networks involved

• Both outside and within CITES regulatory system

CITES response

• CoP13 (2004) – long-term strategy for CITES e-permitting through a phased approach

• Aiming for multiple benefits– Simplified, more efficient permit processes

– Improved security, less opportunities for false permits

– Improved service to applicants

– Improved monitoring of trade

– Improved reporting

CITES e-permitting approach

Develop e-permitting

Toolkit

Align to international standards

Promote use of Toolkit

Investigate central registry for e-permit data

Convene CITES Working Group on e-permitting

Update CITES ‘policy’ to reflect e-permitting

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OLS

GO

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RN

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Promote integration with SWE

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e-permitting Toolkit

• Establishes commonstandards and CITES e-permitting ‘data model’

– Describes CITES businessprocesses

– Common information exchange processes

– XML schemas

– Security & digital signatures

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https://cites.org/eng/prog/e/toolkit/

Alignment to international standards

• CITES e-permitting harmonized with:

– WCO Data Model

– UN/CEFACT Core Component Library

– UN/CEFACT Codes for Trade

– Single Window environments (section 3.5)

• Integration with the ASYCUDA World System is underway

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Promoting use of e-permitting

• CITES MAs of Switzerland and UK pilot project on use of CITES electronic systems

• ACTO is working with CITES Secretariat to implement CITES e-permitting among Member Countries

(€10 million project)

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Promoting use of e-permitting

• Work with the Air Transport Association (IATA) on e-freight project delivered by carriers, forwarders and Customs

• Aims to eliminate the need for all paper documents inair cargo shipments

• Discussing integration of CITES e-permitting

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Illegal wildlife trade uses legal transport routes – ivory trade

TRAFFIC assessment of ETIS seizure data, data reported to 65th meeting of CITES Standing Committee

Promoting use of e-permitting

• Funding proposal developed to offer LDCs a CITES e-permitting out-of-the-box solution

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Support inclusion of CITES e-permit systems in Single Windows

• ? 35% of Parties developing e-permitting systems

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CITES Party interest in e-permitting

Netherlands

Kenya

Support inclusion of CITES e-permit systems in Single Windows

• ? 35% of Parties developing e-permitting systems

• Many countries also developing or expanding Single Windows

• Capitalize on opportunities to dematerialize CITES permits for inclusion in Single Windows

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Example: Mexico

• CITES e-permitting integrated in Single Window Facility for Mexican Foreign Trade (VUCEM)

• From 1 June 2015 CITES MA adopted amended permit issuance procedures (e.g. e-signature)

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Example: Mozambique

• SGS is supporting Mozambique to expand its Single Window more government agencies

• Potential for CITES MA to get support to dematerialize CITES permit data for inclusion

• Opportunity to ‘kick-start’ CITES e-permitting

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Central registry for CITES e-permits

• Enables full electronic system paperless trade

• Party-to-Party verification and revision of CITES permit information

• Bilateral efforts - France and Switzerland,CITES and Customs making CITES business process fully electronic

• ASYCUDA World - CITESmodule and registry

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CITES e-permitting Working Group

• Parties:

Brazil, Belarus, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Guatemala, Japan, Monaco, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland (Chair), Thailand, United Kingdom, United States and Viet Nam

• Observers: UNCTAD, UNEP-WCMC, WCO

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CITES Resolution 12.3

• Originally drafted with assumption that all permits would be paper – standard permit form

• Revised to accommodate electronic permits and digital signatures

• Recognizes importance of continued alignment to international standards

• Recommends Parties consider use of e-permits

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Emerging issue: traceability

• Many CoP Decisions related to traceability

• Discussing the development of a global track-and-trace umbrella framework for wildlife

• Ultimately interested in a global standard for traceability of wildlife under UN/CEFACT

• Selected traceability identifier can then be integrated into CITES e-permitting system

Including CITES in Single Windows?

• Reach out to CITES MA to discuss – dematerialization of CITES permits – inclusion of CITES e-permitting in Single Window

• CITES Secretariat takes a coordination role and can help facilitate liaison with CITES MAs

• Primary CITES contact:

Marcos Regis SilvaChief, Knowledge Management & Outreach

marcos.silva@cites.org

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Thank you