Recognising a meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) can be quite intense, complex and, at times, controversial. It is not always easy for CITES Parties or observers to follow the entire agenda for a CoP and the various rules and practices that govern their consideration. The Agenda for CITES CoP19, to be held in Panama from 14-25 November 2022, is no exception.

A committed group of organisations and individuals that are well-versed in CITES issues, and who share a common interest in the effective implementation of the Convention, have come together to offer an expert briefing on CITES CoP19 to assist Parties and observers, including the media, on how a CITES CoP works and the main issues that are up for consideration at CoP19.

The briefing will address proposed amendments to the CITES Appendices as well as the Working Documents.

This global expert briefing is being offered to all participants free of charge and is being provided in the three working languages of the Convention, namely English, French and Spanish.

Host and sponsor; 

Co-Sponsored by;

Bios

	Sophie le Clue, CEO ADM Capital Foundation	Sophie has thirty years in the field of environmental protection and conservation, principally in the Asia Pacific region, Sophie joined ADMCF a year after its founding in 2007, as director responsible for developing the Foundation’s environmental programme. Today, ADMCF focuses almost solely on environmental issues, while maintaining some legacy children at risk projects.
	John E Scanlon AO, CEO, Board Chair/member, and strategic adviser on environment and sustainable development	John served as Secretary-General of the CITES Secretariat from 2010-2018. Amongst other roles, he is now CEO of the Elephant Protection Initiative Foundation, Chair of the Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime, Chair of the UK Governments’ IWT Challenge Fund, Trustee of the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew and Strategic Advisor – Environment with Ithaca Impact.
	Jonathan Barzdo, Independent CITES Consultant. Former CITES Secretariat, Chief of Governing Bodies, Chair of CITES CoP17 Committee 2	Jonathan Barzdo is an independent consultant on wildlife trade regulation and the use of wild animals and plants. He was a member of the CITES Secretariat staff for 24 years, where he supported and advised States Parties on implementation of the Convention, latterly as the Chief of Governing Bodies and Meeting Services. He was the Head of the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Unit of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre and the Director of TRAFFIC International.
	Craig Hoover, Executive Vice President, Association of Zoos & Aquariums	Craig has twenty five years of international wildlife conservation experience, and is currently part of the senior executive team that manages the Association of Zoos and Aquariums which accredits and represents 240 zoological institutions. Craig has also worked in the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement and was the Deputy Director of TRAFFIC North America, a joint wildlife trade monitoring program of World Wildlife Fund and IUCN.
	Olivia Swaak-Goldman, Executive Director, Wildlife Justice Commission	Olivia has twenty-six years’ experience in international justice and diplomacy, has published extensively on issues of international criminal law and international humanitarian law, and served as a lecturer for both Harvard and Leiden Universities. Olivia was Head of the International Relations Task Force of the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Senior Legal Advisor at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Legal Advisor at the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal and Legal Assistant at the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
	Dr. Winnie Kiiru, Director, Government Affairs, EPI Foundation	Dr. Winnie Kiiru is an Elephant biologist, a member of the IUCN African Elephant Specialist Group and a Trustee of Amboseli Elephant Trust and has attended  Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Conference of Parties and Standing Committee meetings since the year 2000. Dr. Kiiru is well versed with the structure and working of CITES  and she continues to play a major role in supporting African governments and particularly members of the EPI to improve elephant stockpile management and reporting.
	Dr. Michael Lau, Member IUCN Turtle and Tortoise Specialist Group	Dr Michael Lau is an Adjunct Professor in the University of Hong Kong and a freelance ecological consultant. He has sat in a number of Government advisory committees including Hong Kong Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan Steering Committee and an active member of several IUCN Species Survival Commission specialist groups and helped with the Red List assessment.
	Daniel Kachelriess, Executive Director, Sea Shepherd Legal	Daniel held several roles at the interface between science, policy and law, including as the first Marine Species Officer for the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) from 2015-2020, where he led technical support to Parties on the implementation of the Convention for marine species. Since 2020 he was the technical lead for the international policy portfolio at Sea Shepherd Legal and in 2022 he became Sea Shepherd Legal’s Executive Director.
	Ruth Musgrave, Director, Stockpile Management, EPI Foundation	Ruth has been working for the EPI since 2014, and has developed the EPI support to countries on Ivory stockpile management, including the development of tools - the Stockpile Management System, now operational in 13 countries, and the Gold Standards for storeroom management, currently being implemented in 9 countries. Prior to working for the EPI, Ruth worked in field conservation for 15 years with WCS based in Gabon and Tanzania – with a focus on law enforcement monitoring, and project management for research and tourism.
	Dr Mark Jones, Veterinarian, Head of Policy, Born Free Foundation	Mark trained as a vet at Liverpool University, before travelling extensively on mammal rescue and rehabilitation projects. He has Masters’ degrees in both aquatic and wild animal health, and years’ experience in the non- government animal protection sector covering international wildlife trade, wildlife management and animal welfare issues. He joined the UK-based Born Free Foundation in 2014 where he is currently Head of Policy.
	Professor Dalia Conde, Director of Science, Species360	Dalia A. Conde is the Director of Science at Species360 a global data-driven NGO and Associate Professor at the University of Southern Denmark. Prof. Conde works at the interface of species conservation and basic biology research. By applying data-science she harnesses the power of multiple data resources and works with a worldwide network of experts to help address pressing issues on animal care, welfare and species conservation.