The authors note that the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) is one of the trade agreements that dedicates a complete chapter (Chapter 17) to environment protection. The accord establishes a Submission Mechanism for Matters related to the Enforcement of Environmental Legislation. The ‘Public Communication’ mechanism seeks to encourage citizen participation, allowing individuals and Non-Governmental Organizations to seek the enforcement of any environmental law when the Party has not enforced properly their own environmental provisions. Although the Submission Mechanism is not a CITES mechanism per se, the authors propose, it undoubtedly can contribute to the protection of the species listed in the Appendices. The authors concisely discuss the Environmental Submission Process, its characteristics, its weaknesses and strengths, and the types of submissions that are submitted to the Secretariat for Environmental Matters.

The authors consider evidence of sustainable development challenges in implementing CITES trade measures, such as leakage along global value chains, also CITES loopholes in FLEG-T measures, and 3rd party trading. Relying on new data from ITTO databases, developing country archives, and analysis of regional and bilateral trade agreements and economic partnerships which seek to support environmental and social objectives, the chapter provides a discussion of possible constructive ways forward.

The author signals that lowland tropical forests are being converted into agricultural lands at fast rate, especially in South East Asia. As he underlines, this has dire consequences for great apes; all species of great apes are categorized as (Critically) Endangered according to the IUCN Red List. The author explains that Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelli) could be the first of the great apes to face extinction, highlighting the agricultural deforestation taking place in the remote areas of Indonesia, and that access to information is limited, making difficult to take decisions and enforce law. However, in the case of the coastal peat swamp forest of Tripa, the author explains that NGOs have been able to use modern technology and field verification tools to access, gather, monitor and widely provide accurate and up-to-date evidence on pressing environmental issues (ex. deforestation trends, peat depths, fires.

The authors discusses the use of legislation for the control of the timber trade in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Congo Basin, noting the successes and challenges faced in this regard. This highlights many of the issues encountered in the application of CITES law and regulations from the international sphere into the reality of the legal, regulatory and societal spheres at the national level.

The authors highlight recent law and policy reform innovations across multiple levels of governance, identifying major implementation challenges and achievements and suggesting key areas for additional research, analysis and capacity-building. Further, the authors discuss the regimes which regulate international trade and investment in certain species as commodity value-chains, providing examples of comparisons between non-CITES species versus CITES species. The focus is on analysing regulations that implement the sustainable development provisions of the CITES which affect trade and investment flows, globally. The authors explain value-chains approaches, then discuss endangered species commodity value-chains, including how global trade in species products can be demand driven, and how non-CITES and CITES species can be compared. The authors then present the key concepts in value-chains analysis, explaining the law and governance aspects. These aspects are illustrated with examples of regulatory regimes with national and transnational dimensions, taking into account species highlighted in the rest of the volume. In conclusion, the authors highlight emerging concepts, consider the utility and limitations of a law and governance approach, and its broader linkages to global landscapes governance.

The authors discuss methods of sustaining the global trade in frankincense through CITES, with a particular focus on the ways in which governance mechanisms can be used.

The authors highlight the conflicts between balancing economic and environmental interest which require a careful balance between competing interests and values. Highlighting successes and problems faced in implementation of CITES, the authors focus on the involvement of local peoples in the implementation of biodiversity-related conventions, penalties for defaulters, and capacity challenges faced by law enforcement to carry out obligations. Experiences with the Omo Forest Reserve and Yankari Game Reserve located in South Western (Ogun State) and North Eastern (Bauchi State) Nigeria respectively are explored as a baseline for other potential biosphere reserves. These reserves contain several populations of globally endangered and near-threatened species from the IUCN Red List and the CITES-listed species. Unfortunately, authors explain, there are high levels of illegal trade in endangered and protected species, coupled with community conflicts. Though conservation efforts have a long history in the country, achievements are not encouraging. The authors argue that implementation of policies has not achieved the desired result of properly conserving the country’s biodiversity, and that applicable laws on wildlife and game management can implemented in an exploitative manner.

The authors outline the genesis of CITES and the governance processes supporting its operation, including regular amendments to its species lists, interpretive Resolutions and action-oriented Decisions adopted at meetings of the Conference of the Parties to CITES. They also discuss the evolution of CITES, including within the context of decisions taken at global sustainable development summits, such as Rio+20, and an exploration of how these summits have recognized and further enhanced the contributions of CITES to sustainable development. Finally, they detail some of the practical tools and mechanisms of CITES, such as legal acquisition findings, non-detriment findings and quotas for proposed trade, the review of significant trade in commercially-exploited species and guidance on addressing livelihood issues, and outlines how these mechanisms support the sustainable use of wildlife and, in doing so, make a tangible contribution to sustainable development.