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After Gigiri: Looking Toward COP 12
COP 11 proved that the forces of non-use once again failed to seize strategic advantage despite a setting that by all counts should have given them complete victory. During COP 9 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and here in Kenya, the opponents of sustainable use saw opportunities elude their grasp. At Gigiri, attempts to bring commercial marine species under the oversight of CITES failed miserably. Southern African nations added yet another range nation’s stocks to Appendix II. And the fight for worldwide recognition of Cuba’s conservation efforts with Hawksbill Sea Turtles has just begun. The non-use forces picked the terrain, planned the assault, and still came away with token concessions. All of which points to the importance of the next COP and the potential for Sustainable Use advocates whether the site is on friendly, neutral or even hostile land. Given nearly thirty years of its existence and the important role it plays in the lives of those who depend upon nature’s resources, CITES is still a largely unknown and little understood entity to the majority of nations, corporations, governments and people. To those who know, on both sides of the sustainable use issue, CITES is an incredibly important battlefield. For developing nations and communities dependant upon the land and sea for subsistence, what is determined at CITES’ meetings of its Party nations directly or indirectly influences the quality of their lives. Without trying to be overly dramatic, the analogy between CITES and battlefield can be made. Both are arenas upon which life or death, survival or ruin is determined. Both demand the greatest depth of examination and reflection if the course of action chosen is to lead to success and avoid its opposite. These are lessons brought home at COP11 in Gigiri over the past two weeks. They are the reasons why we must look toward COP 12. Sustainable use advocates knew well in advance of the meetings in Gigiri that Kenya was terrain controlled by the non-use forces. Given the inherent disadvantage of being forced to march to the opposition’s territory, Sustainable Use parties managed to achieve a fair degree of success. Hard work and coordination, under the leadership of southern African delegations, secured the down listing of yet another range nation’s elephant population along with the okay to trade in elephant products, with the exception of ivory. Attempts to bring commercial marine fish species under CITES sanction via the "Introduction from the Seas" and three separate shark listing proposals were defeated. Down listing of the Cuban Hawksbill sea turtle population failed by three lone votes in Committee I but the debate will be rejoined in the Plenary. As CITES draws to a close (and a number of proposals have not yet been decided as this newsletter is being sent), we must begin now to plan for COP 12. In doing so, let us continue the metaphor of CITES as war and examine our strengths and those areas we need to reinforce. Let us like generals from long ago, assess the state of our sustainable use with an eye towards victory. In so doing let see where we stand by using the five criteria handed down by military strategists over the ages: the way, climate, terrain, command, and regulation. THE WAY The successful endeavor is one where the motivation of the leaders and of the foot soldiers flows from the same source. For us, Sustainable Use is "The Way." Between now and COP 12 we must bring knowledge and dedication to sustainable use to all possible allies: the public, the press, politicians and policy-makers in each of our communities and in those nations whose votes will mean the difference between victory and defeat. If our "Way" is just, and we truly believe it is so, then we must spread the word in ways we have never tried before. CLIMATE Certainly on a battlefield, the presence of sun, snow, wind, clouds, and rain play important roles in how armies perform. At CITES, the "climate" refers to the receptivity or resistence of delegates, their governments, and their nations to sustainable use issues. Can we do a better job in preparing for COP 12? With sufficient communications, coordination, funding, and implementation we can. We can alter the climate from that which we found in Kenya to one more accepting of the need by animals and humans to be part of a sustainable use strategy. TERRAIN Kenya may not be the most friendly of nations to sustainable use. But, to a degree, small but not insignificant inroads into opening the perspective of the Kenyan people toward a better understanding of sustainable use were made, particularly by the interaction and persistence of the southern African delegations. The extreme animal rights and other non-use NGOs consider Kenya their home field complete with friendly media and supportive governmental infrastructure. Of course, they felt the same about Ft. Lauderdale, Florida back at COP 9 and great strides were made there in gaining momentum for sustainable use. The location of COP 12, once it is known, should be the target of a significant amount of preparation for CITES. We must begin building a presence and alliances from the first day the Secretariat makes the site selection known. When we know our terrain, we will know how best to deploy our "troops." COMMAND Traditionally, command has been considered a combination of wisdom, integrity, humanity, courage and discipline. These are the characteristics of those playing lead roles in promoting the sustainable use agenda. If anything, this is our area of greatest strength. We must no abandon it for the sake of expediency. The non-use forces portray our side as greed-driven and oblivious to the plight of animals. And while they are very effective selling that stereotype, nothing could be farther from the truth. If anything Sustainable Use advocates, cherish animals and humans alike. We tell the truth and demand the best in personal and scientific accounting. Yet we have not been successful in projecting the image of who we really are to the public. We are the caretakers and saviors of wildlife. It’s time we take credit for our good works and let our humanity and humaneness shine through. REGULATION As anyone with military experience (or who can read) well knows, an important component to fighting any battle is the efficiency and effectiveness of the "organizational structure," the chain of command, and the structure for logistical support. We must reevaluate those organizational strengths and weaknesses within the Sustainable Use community. A great deal of work must be done prior to COP 12 in terms of upgrading our organizational effectiveness at every level: how to respond quickly and effectively, improving lines of communication; and, perhaps most importantly, establishing a sound structure for logistical support. Waging a public perception campaign to ensure success at the CITES COP 12 levels demands instant attention to accumulating an appropriate war chest to fund operations, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of our arguments, creating materials from posters to video, from grade school course curricula to sales items to help generate that most important of logistical commodities, funding. IWMC – World Conservation Trust knows there are things at COP 11 that could be improved upon. We pledge to work on exactly that. Nevertheless a true victory comes from the many, not the one. As leave Gigiri and COP 11, let us resolve to begin to work anew towards the goals of economic viability, environmental conservation, and social justice for all. |
