28th Meeting of the CITES Plants Committee (PC28)
- Background: The 28th meeting of the CITES Plants Committee (PC28) was held in Geneva, Switzerland.
- This is the first meeting regarding plants following CoP20 (Samarkand, Uzbekistan, December 2025); it also marks the beginning of the three-year work cycle leading up to CoP21 (Panama City, November 2028).
About CITES
-
- CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement to which nations and regional economic integration organizations voluntarily adhere.
- It was proposed in 1963 following a resolution adopted at a meeting of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
-
- The IUCN is a global partnership of governments and civil society organizations that promotes nature conservation alongside sustainable development.
- CITES entered into force in July 1975; it currently has 184 Parties (nations and regional organizations) as members.
- Objective: To ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
- The CITES Secretariat is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and is located in Geneva; it provides coordination, guidance, and administrative support.
- The ‘Conference of the Parties’ (CoP) is the highest decision-making body, comprising all member nations and organizations.
- The 17th CoP was held in Johannesburg in 2016. India hosted the 3rd CoP in 1981.
-
- Although CITES is legally binding, each member nation must enact and enforce its own national legislation to implement the agreement.
- ‘World Wildlife Day’ is observed annually on March 3rd—commemorating the signing of the CITES agreement in 1973—since 2013.
- The United Nations General Assembly designated the CITES Secretariat to coordinate the global celebrations of World Wildlife Day.
Current Facts
- India’s installed wind power capacity reached 57,443 MW as of June 30, 2026. India ranks 4th globally in installed wind power capacity (after China, the US, and Germany). The government has established targets of 100 GW of wind energy by 2030 and 156 GW by 2036.
- India’s first AI-powered bird sanctuary is being developed at the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- Central government appointed Anurag Jain as the Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog for a period of two years.
Thirukkural (No. 315) Chapter: Not Doing Harm
From wisdom’s vaunted lore what doth the learner gain,
If as his own he guard not others’ souls from pain
Explanation: What benefit has he derived from his knowledge, who does not endeavour to keep off pain from another as much as from himself ?.
