Historic Gathering for Global Wildlife Protection
Samarkand has become the first city in Central Asia to host a Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Delegations from nearly all 184 member countries have arrived in Uzbekistan for CoP20, a two-week summit focused on strengthening global rules that regulate wildlife trade and protect vulnerable species. Thousands of participants — including government ministers, conservation experts, NGOs and scientists — are attending sessions that will determine the future protection status of hundreds of plant and animal species.
Key Agenda: Species Listings, Trade Controls and Conservation Funding
Delegates will examine proposals to update the CITES Appendices, which govern the international trade of endangered species. Discussions centre on sharks, big cats, reptiles, timber species and others facing escalating threats from illegal trafficking, habitat loss and climate impacts. The conference is also expected to advance new mechanisms for conservation finance, encourage sustainable trade practices and support improved enforcement cooperation between countries that share migratory species or cross-border habitats.
Regional Significance and the Samarkand Declaration
For Central Asia, hosting the summit signals a growing ambition to play a more influential role in global biodiversity governance. Environmental ministers from across the region have signed the Samarkand Declaration, committing to tighter collaboration on combating wildlife crime, protecting shared ecosystems and improving monitoring of threatened species such as the snow leopard and saiga antelope. The declaration is seen as a milestone for a region increasingly affected by climate pressures and environmental degradation, marking a unified approach to wildlife protection on the global stage.
