Sustainable wildlife management is a central agenda item under the Convention, yet ‘sustainability’ remains a complex, context-dependent concept, making it difficult to define, apply consistently, measure and enforce effectively. 

The CBD, in collaboration with CITES, CMS and key partners, is currently developing draft global guidance on the sustainable management of wildlife across multiple species and practices, with a focus on inclusive decision-making, diverse knowledge systems, and equitable benefit-sharing. 

While these elements are essential, it is all the more important to ensure that they meaningfully uphold the ‘sustainable’ dimension of wildlife management, particularly given that the prevailing implementation of ‘sustainable use’ often normalises cumulative harm to species, ecosystems, and individual animals, while contributing to biodiversity loss, public health risks, habitat destruction, and climate change on a global scale.

Wildlife is still declining at alarming rates, underscoring the need for sustainability to evolve and serve as a holistic framework that establishes clear ecological, social and ethical requirements, aligned with One Health principles, while also defining ‘sustainable wildlife management’ in a way that permits wildlife use only where these conditions are satisfied and recognises when such use should instead be avoided, restricted, or phased out.

This side event aims to support Parties and stakeholders in advancing a more credible and truly sustainable approach to wildlife management. Bringing together representatives from governments, wildlife trade experts, and practitioners advancing integrated solutions on the ground, the session will examine key gaps and opportunities in current practices, supported by illustrative case studies.

Discussions will focus on how to:

• integrate animal health and welfare into wildlife management alongside ecological criteria;
• address risks linked to wildlife trade, captive breeding, and commercial exploitation;
• strengthen precautionary and One Health-based decision-making;
• improve responses to human-wildlife conflict through coexistence-focussed approaches; and
• develop practical implementation pathways through participatory governance, community capacity-building, and investment in non-lethal, genuinely sustainable alternatives that support species recovery, ecosystem resilience, and both human and animal wellbeing.

Potential speakers include:

• Party delegate x 1-3
• Representative, World Federation for Animals
• Representative, Born Free Foundation
• Representative, CIFOR-ICRAF
• Representative, Smithsonian Institute/IUCN SSC CTSG
• Youth/Women/Indigenous representative