Although it first entered into force in 1975, the Convention evolved from years of discussions among several countries about conservation and sustainable trade. For example, in 1963, the General Assembly of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources passed a resolution calling for “an international convention on regulations of export, transit and import of rare or threatened wildlife species or their skins and trophies.” A first draft of the Convention was produced in 1964, and after subsequent discussions and drafts, the Convention was signed in March 1973 in Washington, D.C. According to the Convention’s preamble, the member countries recognized that the conservation of wild fauna and flora was of global importance and that international cooperation was essential for the protection of certain species against overexploitation through international trade. Each year, wildlife (animals and plants) of all types are sold in the wildlife trade. Some of this trade is regulated by the Convention; some is regulated by domestic laws; and some is not regulated at all. In general, uses of wildlife consist of trade in wildlife parts and products and trade in live wildlife. Global trade in wildlife parts and products includes the following, among other things: exotic fur and leather such as fox and leopard fur coats, elephant and ostrich skin boots, snake and shark skin shoes, kangaroo skin soccer balls, and alligator and eel skin purses; ornamental objects and curios such as sea turtle shell cases, snail shells, elephant ivory jewelry, seahorses, and matted butterflies; food such as monkey and ape bushmeat, turtle, bear paws, frog legs, lobsters, shrimp, conch, fish, clams, and oysters; and traditional medicine ingredients such as tiger bones, rhinoceros horn, ginseng root, bear gall bladders, deer antlers, seahorses, and plant-based powders and ointments. Trade in live wildlife includes the following, among other things: furnishing the exotic pet and plant trade with species such as tropical fish, seahorses, parrots, iguanas, orchids, snakes, and geckos; providing species for biomedical research and teaching, such as monkeys, snakes, fish, and frogs; stocking public or private game farms and hunting ranches with deer, antelope, and wild sheep; providing zoos and safari parks with species such as elephants, rhinoceros, dolphins, large cats, monkeys, pandas, birds, and reptiles; and providing food such as reptiles, amphibians, and fish. As one of the wealthiest countries in the world, the United States is the largest importer and exporter of wildlife products and dominates an estimated $5 billion annual world wildlife trade industry, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. The United States’ share of worldwide trade, according to Service officials, is between $1 billion and $2 billion a year. Figure 1 shows the intended uses of wildlife for which U.S. applicants sought import or export permits from the Service in 2003. The Convention provides a framework for cooperation and collaboration among member countries to conserve species affected by international trade. The membership is made up of all countries that have joined the Convention; as of July 2004, 166 countries were party to the Convention. Each member country, by its signature, ratification, or accession, agrees to abide by and enforce the terms of the Convention. For example, the member countries agree to monitor and regulate imports and exports of certain species, as specified by the Convention, and to submit annual reports on trade in species protected under the Convention and biennial reports on implementation of the Convention. The member countries also agree to enforce the terms of the Convention, typically through legislation that incorporates Convention provisions, establishes requisite authorities, and imposes penalties for noncompliance. Enforcement provisions generally involve inspecting import and export permits, as well as the shipments, to ensure their compliance with Convention requirements. The Convention’s Secretariat, located in Geneva, Switzerland, provides support to the member countries to implement the Convention. The Secretariat organizes and facilitates each conference of the member countries, helps members implement the requirements of the Convention, undertakes scientific and technical studies regarding issues that may affect the implementation of the Convention, and manages the fund that is financed through member contributions. The fund supports the day-to-day operation of the Convention, such as purchasing office supplies, paying personnel, and facilitating Convention-related conferences. Currently, the Secretariat has a full-time staff of 28. The membership agreed to a system to provide a stable source of funding through voluntary contributions by member countries in 1979 and implemented that system in 1983. Prior to that time, Convention funding was provided through the United Nations Environment Programme. Members’ annual contributions to the fund are determined through a scale of assessment related to a country’s gross domestic product. The Convention does not provide a mechanism for enforcing the payment of annual contributions. Although the Secretariat reported in 2003 that the overall amount of contributions in arrears was not great, it also indicated that several countries have not made contributions for years. The membership convenes every 2 or 3 years at a conference of the member countries, referred to as the “Conference of the Parties.” The conference is the primary forum at which the membership debates and votes on proposals submitted by one or more members. Approval of substantive proposals, such as species-related decisions or significant procedural changes, generally requires a two-thirds majority of the members present, although many decisions are still made by consensus. Proposals are to be distributed to all members (through the Secretariat) several months before the conference and are to include the documentation necessary to explain or justify them (e.g., population surveys, scientific studies, discussion papers). In October 2004, the thirteenth conference of the member countries will take place in Bangkok, Thailand. A number of committees conduct business in between the biennial or triennial conferences of the member countries. The standing committee serves essentially as a steering committee; among its responsibilities are providing policy and operational direction to the Secretariat, overseeing the development and execution of the Secretariat’s budget and expenditures, coordinating and advising other committees, and drafting resolutions for consideration by the Convention’s membership. Among the responsibilities of the animals and plants committees are providing advice and guidance to the membership on all scientific matters relevant to international trade in protected animal and plant species and developing decisions and resolutions to implement the Convention. For example, the committees may review and assess all available biological and trade information on species considered to be significantly affected by trade and, based on such assessments, form appropriate conclusions and recommendations. The nomenclature committee ensures clarity and consistency in the identification and classification of species. The Convention membership protects wildlife by first identifying species in need of protection and then regulating or monitoring trade in those species, depending on the risk that trade poses to a species’ survival. The Convention regulates trade primarily through a system of import and export permits that are sought by organizations and individuals wishing to use protected species. Such consumers include (1) zoos and circuses that use animals for display, entertainment, or research; (2) furniture and clothing manufacturers, for selling raw materials or finished goods to consumers in other countries; (3) medical and scientific institutions, for biological samples for research; (4) producers, for artificially propagated or captive-bred species; and (5) individuals, for various items ranging from curios to hunting trophies. Species in need of protection are identified in one of three appendixes to the Convention. The Convention extends the most stringent protections to the species it has included in appendix I. These are species that are considered at risk of extinction by virtue of meeting at least one of several criteria and are, or may be, affected by trade. Among the criteria are an observed, inferred, or projected decline in (1) the number of individuals, (2) the area and quality of habitat, (3) the area of distribution, (4) the number of subpopulations, or (5) reproductive potential. The Convention generally prohibits commercial trade in species included in appendix I but may allow trade in household goods, hunting trophies, or live animals for purposes of display, research, or breeding when such trade is not detrimental to species in the wild. Species currently listed in appendix I include the Ethiopian toad, the red-necked parrot, the short-nosed sturgeon, Brazilian rosewood, the Burmese peacock turtle, the Asian golden cat, the giant armadillo, living rock cactus, and the bowhead whale. Appendix II to the Convention includes species that are not yet but may become threatened with extinction at least in part due to trade; the Convention regulates trade in these species. Among the criteria for a species’ inclusion in appendix II are a known, inferred, or projected conclusion that (1) a species will meet at least one of the appendix I criteria in the near future unless trade in the species is subject to strict regulation or (2) the harvesting of specimens from the wild for international trade has or may have a detrimental effect on the species by exceeding, over an extended period, the level that can be continued in perpetuity. Species currently listed in appendix II include the strawberry poison-arrow frog, the crab-eating fox, the wrinkled hornbill, yellow pencil coral, fragrant prickly-apple, queen conch, the freckled monitor, Caribbean mahogany, the piebald dolphin, Himalayan yew, and the king cobra. Another criterion for inclusion in appendix II is that a species resembles another species listed in appendix I or appendix II, such that a nonexpert, with reasonable effort, is unlikely to be able to distinguish between them.