The modern concept of agroforestry emerged in the early 20th century. File.
Important conventions and agreements are very relevant for UPSC Prelims. One such agreement is CITES which UPSC aspirants should definitely make a note of. CITES ensures that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
CITES is an international agreement that stands for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 by the members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It entered into force in July 1975. Currently, there are 184 parties (including countries or regional economic integration organizations). The CITES Secretariat is administered by UNEP (The United Nations Environment Programme) and is located in Geneva, Switzerland. The Conference of the Parties to CITES is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention and comprises all its parties.
The aim of CITES is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
CITES is an agreement based on cooperation among member parties. The international wildlife trade is estimated to be worth billions of dollars annually. The exploitation of some animal and plant species is very high. Trade and habitat loss are capable of heavily depleting their populations. Some species are also coming close to extinction. The trade in wild animals and plants crosses borders. Therefore, much effort to regulate it requires international cooperation. The idea was to safeguard certain species from over exploitation.
Is CITES legally binding?
CITES is legally binding on its members. However, it cannot take place of national laws. It is in fact a framework for all its members to adopt in their own domestic legislation. The domestic legislation should ensure that CITES is implemented at the national level.
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Point to ponder: What are Appendix I, II, and III to the CITES convention?
Manas Srivastava leads the UPSC Essentials section of The Indian Express (digital). He majorly writes on UPSC, other competitive exams and education-related projects. In the past, Manas has represented India at the G-20 Youth Summit in Mexico. He is a former member of the Youth Council, GOI. A two-time topper/gold medallist in History (both in graduation and post-graduation) from Delhi University, he has mentored and taught UPSC aspirants for more than five years. His diverse role in The Indian Express consists of writing, editing, anchoring/ hosting, interviewing experts, and curating and simplifying news for the benefit of students. He hosts the YouTube talk show called ‘Art and Culture with Devdutt Pattanaik’ and a LIVE series on Instagram and YouTube called ‘LIVE with Manas’.His talks on ‘How to read a newspaper’ focus on newspaper reading as an essential habit for students. His articles and videos aim at finding solutions to the general queries of students and hence he believes in being students' editor, preparing them not just for any exam but helping them to become informed citizens. This is where he makes his teaching profession meet journalism. He is also the editor of UPSC Essentials' monthly magazine for the aspirants. He is a recipient of the Dip Chand Memorial Award, the Lala Ram Mohan Prize and Prof. Papiya Ghosh Memorial Prize for academic excellence. He was also awarded the University’s Post-Graduate Scholarship for pursuing M.A. in History where he chose to specialise in Ancient India due to his keen interest in Archaeology. He has also successfully completed a Certificate course on Women’s Studies by the Women’s Studies Development Centre, DU. As a part of N.S.S in the past, Manas has worked with national and international organisations and has shown keen interest and active participation in Social Service. He has led and been a part of projects involving areas such as gender sensitisation, persons with disability, helping slum dwellers, environment, adopting our heritage programme. He has also presented a case study on ‘Psychological stress among students’ at ICSQCC- Sri Lanka. As a compere for seminars and other events he likes to keep his orating hobby alive. His interests also lie in International Relations, Governance, Social issues, Essays and poetry. ... Read More
