FAO.org

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement among governments to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. The Convention entered into force on 1 July 1975 and currently has a membership of 173 countries.

Roughly 5 000 species of animals and 28 000 species of plants are protected by CITES. Those species are listed in one of three Appendices, and international trade in these species is controlled according to the degree of protection they require.