South Africa Commends COP20 Wins as Three Proposals Move Forward
Willie Aucamp, South Africa’s Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, praised the national negotiating team for achieving the approval of three SA-proposed amendments at the Twentieth Conference of the Parties (COP20) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
"The successful adoption of three of our proposals to adjust the listings in CITES appendices not only signals South Africa’s leadership on global conservation matters but also reflects the high caliber of our local scientific community," the minister remarked on Wednesday.
The COP20 session ran from November 24 to December 5, 2025, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with the South African delegation headed by Deputy Minister Narend Singh.
Among the proposals adopted by South Africa were: removing the bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus) from Appendix II and reclassifying two succulent species—Avonia quinaria and Euphorbia bupleurifolia—from Appendix II to Appendix I.
In total, COP20 evaluated 51 proposals to amend the CITES appendices, accompanied by 114 draft working documents submitted by participating countries.
Deputy Minister Singh noted that South Africa’s priorities focus on measures with direct impact on conservation outcomes and the sustainable use of its biological resources, these choices being grounded in thorough assessments and scientific guidance from the country’s Scientific Authority.
