Qatar participates in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Animals and Plants (CITES) in the city of Geneva, Switzerland
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change participates in the technical committee meetings of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Animals and Plants (CITES) in the city of Geneva, Switzerland. These meetings are taking place from June 5th to June 9th, 2023.
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change is represented during the meetings by Mr. Ali Saleh Al-Marri, Head of the Wildlife Department. He emphasized that the technical committee meetings examine the requests of countries to include organisms in the appendices of the convention, whether it is a new listing or the transfer of a threatened species from Appendix I to Appendix II or III. He also pointed out that these meetings preceded the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Animals and Plants.
Mr. Ali Saleh Al-Marri pointed out that Qatar’s presence, represented by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, in those meetings reaffirms its commitment to all international agreements and conventions related to the environment and the preservation of wildlife, including biodiversity. He also highlighted that Qatar is making significant efforts in this regard, whether through the issuance of legislation and laws that protect animals and wild plants.
He further explained that all departments of the ministry are making efforts to conserve and enhance biodiversity in Qatar. They work on breeding those organisms and providing suitable environments for them. He emphasized that biodiversity is the living fabric and fundamental basis that supports all forms of life on land and under the water surface.
He highlighted that the ministry has contributed to the breeding of many endangered animals, including the hawksbill sea turtles, thousands of which have been released along the coasts of Qatar in the past five years. The ministry has also provided significant care and support for the Houbara Bustard, with its efforts leading to the release and successful reproduction of many of them in the Qatari environment. In addition to that, the ministry has played a role in the release and breeding of several local fish species through the state’s marine development centers.
