The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement between governments. The CITES aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.CITES remains one of the world’s most powerful tools for wildlife conservation through the regulation of the trade. Thousands of species are internationally traded and used by people in their daily lives for food, health care, housing, tourist souvenirs, cosmetic or fashion. CITES regulates internationally trade over 36,000 species of plants and animals, including their products and derivatives, to ensure their survival in the wild with benefits for the livelihoods of local people and the global environment. The CITES permit system seeks to ensure that international trade in listed species is sustainable, legal and traceable.The CITES was signed in Washington D.C on March 3, 1973 and entered in to force on July 1, 1975 as of June 30, 2018 there are 183 Parties(182 Countries + European Union) to the CITES.
