The proposal to hold this workshop was first put forward and discussed during the XI Annual Meeting of the Canada/Mexico/US Trilateral Committee (Trilateral Committee) in San Diego, in May 2006. The idea was presented during the joint meeting of the Plants and Animals Committees in July 2006, and at the 54th meeting of the Standing Committee (October 2006). Subsequently, Mexico and Canada submitted Document 35 to the 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties in The Hague (June 2007), which was adopted by the Conference of the Parties through Decisions 14.49, 14.50 and 14.51.
Decision 14.49 encouraged the Parties to provide financial support for the Workshop, in order to enhance the capacities of CITES Scientific Authorities, and to provide any help and information regarding methodologies, tools, information, expertise, and any other resources required for making Non-detriment findings on specific taxa. The results of the Workshop were to be submitted to the Conference of the Parties for consideration at its 15th meeting.
Decision 14.50 directed the Plants and Animals Committees to prepare a discussion paper based on the outcome of the Workshop, and, if necessary, to prepare a draft resolution on the making of non-detriment findings, to be submitted at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties.
Decision 14.51 referred to the CITES Secretariat’s role in the funding and development of the Workshop.
The Workshop was organized to attain the following objectives:
The Workshop was held in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico from 17th to 22nd December 2008,and was attended by 103 participants from 33 countries of the six CITES regions.
The main goal of the Workshop was to provide guidance to CITES Authorities relating to the processes, methodologies, and data needed to make non-detriment findings, by building on existing work. Accordingly, the following three objectives were established: 1) Analyze and summarize the different approaches and paths followed by Scientific Authorities along the NDF decision-making process; 2) Provide Parties with elements that enhance their understanding of what NDFs are and how they can be formulated; and 3) Submit Workshop results to the CITES Animals and Plants Committees in 2009 in order to assess their applicability, possible endorsement and submission to the Conference of the Parties.
The workshop was planned as follows: formation of 9 working groups (4 for Flora and 5 for Fauna), with their respective co-chairs and experts; preparation of 60 case studies (30 for Flora and 30 for Fauna); plenary presentations and preparation of working documents. The following information was made available prior to the Workshop: IUCN checklist; responses to CITES Notification to the Parties No. 2007/032; responses to CITES Notification to the Parties No. 2008/044; and regional workshops and species-specific exercises. Outcomes were sent to the Animals and Plants Committees.
At its 18th meeting, the Plants Committee received and discussed the following documents:
The results of this Workshop marked a turning point for Non-detriment findings and led to the development of workshops, guidance on taxonomic groups, and the adoption by the Conference of the Parties of the first Resolution relative to NDFs This manual is based, to a large extent, on the outcomes of the working group on tree species.
