Scene of the conference on September 24

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan made the statement at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES), which took place in Johannesburg, South Africa from September 24-October 4.

Tuan stressed after more than two decades of joining the CITES, Vietnam has made significant contributions to the international organisation, citing that in free trade agreements signed with its partners, the country always commits to addressing the wildlife trafficking.

With its efforts made over the past ten years, Vietnam has succeeded in cutting the demand for rhino horns, with a reduction of 38 percent in the three recent years, he said.

The Deputy Minister informed that Vietnam will host the 17th and 18th international wild trade conferences (IWTC) in Hanoi this November.

The COP17, with the participation of representatives from 182 CITES member countries, approved 51 out of 62 proposals from 64 member countries concerning the tightening or loosening of trade of wild and rare animals at high-risk of extinction.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, General Secretary of CITES John Scanlon said the conference was successful as all CITES member nations highly agreed on the need to intensify environmental protection and preserve wild and rare animals, especially those at high risk of extinction.

With the role as the host of COP17, South Africa suggested many important proposals on measures to control wildlife trading in Africa and other places in the world.

VNA