3 - Protected Species, Global Commodities and the Law on Sustainable Development

Summary

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.