If the team from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species doesn’t find significant progress in reducing the supply and demand for rhino horn, it could recommend sanctions.

Policy expert at the World Wildlife Fund Leigh Henry commends the move at the CITES conference of the parties in Sandton.

He says CITES only works when member governments hold each other accountable.

He believes a strong message has been sent to Mozambique as a supplier of illegal rhino horn and Vietnman as the primary user of this commodity worth more than twice its weight in gold.

Strong national governance is critical to disrupting the transnational criminal networks masterminding the illicit flow of horn and threatening the security of the world’s remaining rhino populations.

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The 182-country United Nations body knows that unless elephant poaching is stopped now, the animal will disappear from the wild in a couple of decades.

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Zimbabwe and Namibia, backed by South Africa, want to be allowed to sell their stockpile of ivory.

Botswana’s ranged against them, backed by 29 other African nations, calling for an immediate and permanent ban on the sale of ivory and the destruction of stockpiles to remove its financial value.

The convention is expected to continue the ban on trading rhino horn.

However there is a well-financed lobby arguing that  those  farming rhino are protecting the species and should be permitted to make large profits by harvesting  the horn, which grows back.

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