Moving Towards Sustainability? An Analysis of CITES’ Conservation Policies

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has been criticised for following a narrow preservationist agenda centred on protecting charismatic species through trade‐restrictive policies that disregard the livelihood strategies of communities living alongside wildlife. More recently, however, parties to CITES have embraced the sustainability discourse and taken steps to address the socio‐economic dimensions of wildlife trade. This paper examines the policies developed by CITES’ Parties at four recent meetings, with a view to determining whether they are founded on a holistic understanding of socio‐environmental dynamics. It concludes that CITES’ conservation approach remains rooted in a conception of sustainability that treats people and wildlife as separate entities, and where species conservation takes priority over human development. Nonetheless, CITES does appear to be moving towards a more all‐encompassing perception of sustainability where focus is on ecosystems rather than ensuring the survival of single species.