[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 143 (Wednesday, July 25, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38739-38740]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-18559]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Request for Information and Recommendations on Resolutions, 
Decisions, and Agenda Items for Consideration at the Twelfth Regular 
Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on 
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for information.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice is a scoping document that solicits 
recommendations for resolutions, decisions, and agenda items for 
discussion at the twelfth regular meeting of the Conference of the 
Parties (COP12) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered 
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). We invite you to provide us 
with information and recommendations on possible resolutions, 
decisions, and agenda items for discussion at the upcoming meeting.

DATES: We will consider all information and comments received by 
September 24, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send correspondence pertaining to resolutions, decisions, 
and agenda items to the Division of Management Authority; U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service; 4401 North Fairfax Drive; Room 700; Arlington, 
Virginia 22203, or via E-mail at: [email protected]. Comments and 
materials received will be available for public inspection, by 
appointment, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the 
Division of Management Authority. Information on species listing issues 
or scientific issues pertaining to CITES is available from the Division 
of Scientific Authority; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 North 
Fairfax Drive; Room 750; Arlington, Virginia 22203, or via E-mail at: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrea Gaski, Chief, Division of 
Management Authority, Branch of CITES Operations, phone 703/358-2095, 
fax 703/358-2298, E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild 
Fauna and Flora, hereinafter referred to as CITES, is an international 
treaty designed to control and regulate international trade in certain 
animal and plant species that are now or potentially may be threatened 
with extinction. These species are listed in Appendices to CITES, 
copies of which are available from the Division of Management Authority 
at the above address or from our Website at http://www.international.fws.gov/pdf/appendices.pdf. Currently, 154 countries, 
including the United States, are Parties to CITES. CITES calls for 
biennial meetings of the Conference of the Parties, which review its 
implementation, make provisions

[[Page 38740]]

enabling the CITES Secretariat in Switzerland to carry out its 
functions, consider amendments to the list of species in Appendices I 
and II, consider reports presented by the Secretariat, and make 
recommendations for the improved effectiveness of CITES. Any country 
that is a Party to CITES may propose amendments to Appendices I and II, 
resolutions, decisions, and/or agenda items for consideration by the 
other Parties.
    This is our second in a series of Federal Register notices which, 
together with announced public meetings, provide you with an 
opportunity to participate in the development of the United States' 
negotiating positions for the twelfth regular meeting of the Conference 
of the Parties to CITES (COP12). We published our first such Federal 
Register notice on June 12, 2001 (66 FR 31686), and with it we 
requested information and recommendations on potential species 
amendments for the United States to consider submitting for discussion 
at COP12. Information on that Federal Register notice, and on species 
amendment proposals, is available from the Division of Scientific 
Authority at the above address. Our regulations governing this public 
process are found in 50 CFR Secs. 23.31-23.39.
    In our Federal Register notice of June 12, 2001, we announced that 
COP12 is scheduled to be held in November 2002, in Santiago, Chile. 
Once the CITES Secretariat notifies the CITES Parties of the exact 
dates when the meeting will be held, we will publish this information 
in a future Federal Register notice. We will also post that information 
on our Website, for your benefit.

Request for Recommendations on Resolutions and Agenda Items

    Although we have not yet received formal notice of the provisional 
agenda for COP12, we invite your input on possible agenda items the 
United States could recommend for inclusion, or on possible resolutions 
and/or decisions of the Conference of the Parties that the United 
States could submit. Copies of the agenda for the last meeting of the 
Conference of the Parties (COP11) in Gigiri, Kenya, in April 2000, as 
well as copies of all resolutions and decisions of the Conference of 
the Parties currently in effect, are available from the Division of 
Management Authority at the above address. Copies of a list of species 
proposals adopted at COP11 are available from the Division of 
Scientific Authority at the above address. The results of COP11 with 
regard to species proposals, resolutions, and decisions, along with 
other information pertaining to COP11, are available on our Website at: 
http://international.fws.gov/cop11/cop11.html.

Observers

    Article XI, paragraph 7 of CITES provides: ``Any body or agency 
technically qualified in protection, conservation or management of wild 
fauna and flora, in the following categories, which has informed the 
Secretariat of its desire to be represented at meetings of the 
Conference by observers, shall be admitted unless at least one-third of 
the Parties present object:
    (a) International agencies or bodies, either governmental or non-
governmental, and national governmental agencies and bodies; and
    (b) National non-governmental agencies or bodies which have been 
approved for this purpose by the State in which they are located.
    Once admitted, these observers shall have the right to participate 
but not to vote.''
    National agencies or organizations within the United States must 
obtain our approval to participate in COP12, while international 
agencies or organizations must obtain approval directly from the CITES 
Secretariat. We will publish information in a future Federal Register 
notice on how to request approved observer status. A fact sheet on the 
process is posted on our Website at: http://international.fws.gov/pdt/ob.pdf.

Future Actions

    The next regular meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP12) 
is scheduled to be held in November 2002, in Santiago, Chile. We have 
developed a tentative U.S. schedule to prepare for that meeting. The 
United States must submit any proposals to amend Appendix I or II, or 
any draft resolutions, decisions, and/or agenda items for discussion at 
COP12, to the CITES Secretariat 150 days prior to the start of the 
meeting. In order to accommodate this deadline, we plan to publish a 
Federal Register notice approximately 10 months prior to COP12 
announcing tentative species proposals, draft resolutions, draft 
decisions, and agenda items to be submitted by the United States, and 
to solicit further information and comments on them.
    Approximately 9 months prior to COP12, we will hold a public 
meeting to allow for additional public input. Approximately 4 months 
prior to COP12, we will post on our Website an announcement of the 
species proposals, draft resolutions, draft decisions, and agenda items 
submitted by the United States to the CITES Secretariat. The deadline 
for submission of the proposals, draft resolutions, draft decisions and 
agenda items to the Secretariat is expected to be sometime around June 
7, 2002.
    Through a series of additional notices and Website postings in 
advance of COP12, we will inform you about preliminary negotiating 
positions on resolutions, decisions, and amendments to the Appendices 
proposed by other Parties for consideration at COP12, and about how to 
obtain observer status from us. We will also publish announcements of 
public meetings expected to be held approximately 9 months prior to 
COP12, and approximately 2 months prior to COP12, to receive public 
input on our positions regarding COP12 issues.

Author

    This notice was prepared by Mark Albert, Division of Management 
Authority, under the authority of the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

    Dated: June 27, 2001.
Marshall P. Jones Jr.,
Director.
[FR Doc. 01-18559 Filed 7-24-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P