THE HAGUE — The Kenyan delegation to the ongoing wildlife conference in The Hague was among 30 countries that received specially designed laptop computers on Sunday evening.

The fully equipped multi-media laptops with wireless internet capability donated by the Born Free Foundation and Species Survival Network are meant to ensure full participation of delegates from Africa and Asia in the meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) that started on Sunday evening.

Mr Julius Kimani and Dr James Njogu from the Kenya Wildlife Service received the laptop on behalf of the Kenyan delegation.

Mr Will Travers, Born Free USA chief executive officer and chairman of the Species Survival Network said during the handover ceremony: “Some of the most imperiled wildlife species on the planet are native to the poorest countries and we must do all we can to ensure that lack of resources does not prevent these delegates from fully participating in the debate and decisions that could effect the levels of protection afforded threatened and endangered animals and plants. We are extremely grateful to our friends at the Dell computer company in England for helping make this project a reality. ”

SSN’s dedicated IT team have personalised each machine in the language of the recipient and downloaded all official documents necessary to participate actively in the weighty CITES deliberations.

Mr Travers added: “Our single goal is to prevent the disenfranchisement of delegates from countries at the bottom of the United Nations Human Development Index. In fact, some nations with policies directly opposed to our own will receive these machines. Born Free and SSN welcome informed, intelligent debate, and with this modest donation of computer equipment, we advance that important dialogue.”

Over the next 2 weeks (June 3rd - 15th) CITES Parties will consider proposals affecting the global protection of African elephants, Asian big cats, great whales, North American bobcats, leopards, rhinos, sharks, coral, slow lorises, and a variety of plant and tree species.

Delegates from the following countries received the computers: Niger, Sierra Leone, Mali, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Zambia, Ivory Coast, Benin, Guinea, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Mauritania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Yemen, Djibouti, Togo, Cameroon, Madagascar, Republic of Congo, Ghana, Bhutan, Lao PDR, and Cambodia.

“We sincerely hope that we will be able to continue building capacity in developing countries for years to come and that other organisations, governments, and Treaty support bodies, will follow suit,” Mr Travers concluded.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was established in response to concerns that many wildlife species were becoming endangered because of international trade. The convention entered into force in 1975 and three decades later, it’s the world’s largest, perhaps most effective, international wildlife conservation agreement. It currently regulates the trade of some 30,000 wild animal and plant species.

The 14th meeting of the Parties to CITES being held in The Hague from Sunday is the first CITES Conference of Parties to be held in the European Union. There are 171 countries that are Parties to the CITES. They meet every three years to propose amendments to the appendices.

Only governments can submit proposals, or vote. NGOs provide technical or scientific advice, and are able to participate in the meetings and discussions as observers.

ENDS