Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

CITES is an international conservation agreement among 180 governments. The convention, first developed in the 1960s, aims "to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival."

CITES’ decisions are legally binding on all signatories to the convention and provide a framework for regulating trade in endangered species, which by its nature requires international cooperation.