World Wildlife Fund - Annual Report 2007 - (Page 40)

A Different Kind of Fieldwork By Ginette Hemley Making conservation happen typically requires getting into the field and addressing the issues on the ground. Yet another kind of fieldwork takes place in United Nations and other forums that bring together world leaders to hammer out international conservation policy. One of these, known as CITES, is where WWF and our wildlife trade monitoring program, TRAFFIC, influence the countries of the world to take up our agenda for controlling wildlife trade. CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, is the world’s most broadly supported wildlife conservation agreement. When CITES meets, the fate of many endangered species is in the hands of representatives from over 170 countries. CITES requires that each member country put in place national legislation to implement the agreement’s decisions. Typically, this legislation leads to the involvement of customs officials, wildlife enforcement agencies, or police. For more than 25 years, WWF has been a leading voice in CITES due to our global scale, our partners in dozens of countries, and our science-based approach to policy making. We are a strong, single voice that can speak to the range of issues in species conservation and wildlife trade. And we’ve been on the ground in every corner of the Earth, so we understand the political and cultural environments in which the ensuing new laws must be passed and enforced. The role we play is diverse. We use our species research to provide background information in support of proposals by CITES member countries for new and revised provisions. We advise governments as they evaluate proposals, we negotiate support behind the scenes, and through our global network we bring international public attention to bear on the debates. The 2007 CITES meeting was held at The Hague in the Netherlands. Among the more than 30 species proposals up for discussion were two relating to particular WWF priorities, tigers and elephants. Wild tigers face an emerging threat from Chinese tiger farms: Farm owners are pressuring the government to lift its successful 14-year ban on domestic trade in tiger bones and products, ■ This two-story-high photo mosaic was created from 30,000 personal photos sent in by tiger lovers worldwide. The message was clear: End all trade in tigers. 40 worldwildlife.org http://worldwildlife.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of World Wildlife Fund - Annual Report 2007

WWF - Annual Report 2007 Contents The Landscapes of People's Lives The President’s Report Africa, Land of the Soul Building Prosperity from Africa’s Natural Wealth A Namibian Odyssey Natural Capital: Putting a Price on Nature Investing in Fish and Fishermen Wildlife in the Balance Africans on the Move WWF Results Across the Globe A Different Kind of Fieldwork A River Dammed Pooling Efforts in the World’s Aquarium More Than Just the Daily Catch All Along the Equator A Partnership for Freshwater Funding and Financial Overview Statement of Activities Ways to Give Staff National Council Board of Directors

World Wildlife Fund - Annual Report 2007

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