International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Convention Message to the Senate Transmitting an Amendment.

To the Senate of the United States:

I transmit herewith, for the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, an Amendment to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, done at Washington March 3, 1973. The Amendment will provide a legal basis for Parties to the Convention to provide it with necessary financial support. By helping to place the financing of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora on a sound and permanent basis, the Amendment will strengthen its effectiveness. The report on the Amendment by the Department of State is enclosed for the information of the Senate.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora provides for the control and monitoring of international trade in species endangered, or likely to be endangered, by extinction. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora text does not, however, explicitly provide for the funding of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Secretariat activities by its Parties. So far the United Nations Environment Program has provided this support. However, the United Nations Environment Program has decided to begin to decrease its support in 1980 and to terminate it by the end of 1983. In March 1979 the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Parties adopted interim financial regulations under which the Parties would begin to provide the necessary support. But some Parties require an Amendment to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora text providing explicit authority for Party funding in order to give them a legal basis for making contributions under the new financial regulations. Consequently, the Parties held an extraordinary meeting in Bonn on June 22, 1979, .and adopted the necessary Amendment. Under the Amendment, the Parties' authority to adopt financial provisions is made explicit by adding the words "and adopt financial provisions" to Article XI 3 (a), which deals with the functions of the Conference of the Parties.

Under this Amendment and the interim financial regulations the United States could make voluntary contributions to help support the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

I urge the Senate to act favorably on this Amendment at an early date.

JIMMY CARTER

The White House,

April 2, 1980.