From 24 November to 05 December 2025, Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), along with international organisations and civil society will convene in Samarkand, Uzbekistan for the 20th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP).

Held every two to three years, the CoP provides a vital forum to assess progress in species conservation and to strengthen the regulation of international wildlife trade. Notably, CoP20 marks the first time the conference is being hosted in Central Asia since the Convention entered into force in 1975.

The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), through its ECO-SOLVE programme, will be actively engaged in CoP20—participating in official proceedings and side events. GI-TOC will present recent research on wildlife crime linked to the Internet, spotlighting high-risk CITES species in online platforms and identifying opportunities to enhance responses to the illegal online wildlife trade. Our goal is to contribute to ensuring that future CITES decisions are as effective and impactful as possible.

DATA FOR ENFORCEMENT

Date: 27 November 2025 Time: 12h15-13h45 UST, GMT+5

Organized by CITES Secretariat – ICCWC

Venue: Bukahra D. (120)

Why is data so important for combating wildlife crime? This event will address this critical question, offering insights into the data available to Parties, preliminary research findings on wildlife crime linked to the Internet, and data-relevant tools available through ICCWC.

BUILDING INNOVATIVE RESPONSES TO WILDLIFE CYBERCRIME

Date: 27 November 2025 Time: 19:00–20:30 UST, GMT+5

Organized by IFAW and co-hosted by GI-TOC, EU.

Venue: Markhor S. (70)

Will examine best-practice by Parties to modernise and adapt legislation and policy frameworks to address the dynamic nature of online markets. This includes updating national laws to explicitly criminalise digital illicit wildlife trade and wildlife trafficking and defining the responsibilities of online platforms.