Botswana readies for CITES showdown

Ready to rumble: Senyatso is upbeat about the country’s prospects at CITES PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE
Ready to rumble: Senyatso is upbeat about the country’s prospects at CITES PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE

Local wildlife authorities are conducting last-minute lobbying of diplomats and others, as the country prepares for a highly contentious Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting, where several West African states are pushing for a ban on Botswana’s elephant trophy hunting.

CITES is an international body binding 184 states to agreements on the trade and protection of endangered plants and animals.

The upcoming Conference of Parties (CoP) is CITES’ highest decision-making meeting held every three years where countries frequently clash over proposals to tighten or loosen trade in various animals and plants.

Editor's Comment
GBV: The big elephant in the room

Sadly, the country seems not to have proper tools and the extent to which women and the girl-child are being abused is not adequately measured.Almost every week there are reports of women being attacked by their significant others and while men are attacked as well, women seem to be more on the receiving end.On May 24, 2023 news broke that a woman who was receiving support from the Botswana Gender-Based Violence Prevention Centre in Gaborone, was...

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