The African Carnivore Initiative (ACI) is a unique collaboration between CITES and CMS mandated to conserve wild species. CMS focuses on preserving and restoring the spaces that migratory animals use during their life cycles; and CITES regulates their international trade to ensure the sustainability, legality and traceability of such trade.

The ACI shall, under CITES and CMS, and with input from ACI Range States, IGOs and NGOs, other partners, and donors, be a vital support platform to facilitate the effective conservation of the Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, and African Wild Dog both as flagship species of African wildlife and important predators in African ecosystems.

During this CITES COP19 side event the following presentations will be given: 

• Introductory remarks on the Joint CITES-CMS African Carnivores Initiative: Restoring Viable and Ecologically Functional African Carnivores (Ivonne Higuero, CITES Secretary-General (TBC); Amy Fraenkel, CMS Executive Secretary)  
• Introduction to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the Joint CITES-CMS African Carnivores Initiative, and its Programme of Work (Clara Nobbe, CMS Secretariat)  
• CITES Perspectives on the Programme of Work of the Joint CITES-CMS African Carnivores Initiative (David Morgan, CITES Secretariat (TBC)) 
• Collaborations with the IUCN and the IUCN SOS African Wildlife Initiative (Richard Jenkins, IUCN)
• Contributions to and synergies of the WWF-Panthera “Living with Big Cats” Initiative and the Joint CITES-CMS African Carnivores Initiative (Andrew McVey, WWF)
• National perspectives on how the Joint CITES-CMS African Carnivores Initiative can support carnivore conservation at national level, from
• Kenya (Dr Patrick Omondi, Kenya Wildlife Services)
• Zimbabwe (Rose Mandisodza, Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authorities)

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