Article**: Oceans and Wetlands.
Translator's note: On March 4, 2024, the International Department of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Association (CGDC) received a message from John E. Scanlon, advisor to the Green Society, chair of the Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime, and former Secretary-General of the International Convention on Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and FloraMr. Scanlon AO), sharing his newly published article entitled ".Artificial intelligence and blockchain technology can change the way we track wildlife**article.
The translator has been authorized by Mr. John Scanlon to translate and publish the article for readers' reference.
Artificial intelligence and blockchain technology can change the way we track wildlife**
artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies can transform how we trace trade in wild animals and plants
by John E scanlon ao）
Marcos Régis Silva (marcos regis da silva
A presentation on technological innovation and cooperative efforts under the International Convention on Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
The International Convention on Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is one of the most successful multilateral environmental agreements in the family of the Convention on Biological Diversity. This relative success depends on its unique mechanisms and on the practices and processes established by the Parties under the Convention, as reflected in many ** and commercial agreements. These include the ability to recommend suspensions, a stable and mature license and certificate system, data that can be found, obtained, collaborated with each other, and reused, even if imperfect, and periodic reviews of significant issues.
The Convention also responds to current technological and information trends in the world. It publishes data standards to assist in the digitization of paper licences and paper certificates of the Convention. Its electronic format is fully in line with the recommendations of the United Nations Centre for Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN CEFACT) and the World Customs Organization. These two bodies are the main organizations that develop electronic standards. Information and technology are important foundations for the shift to electronic licensing.
In addition, the Parties to the Convention discussed the need to describe the sequential steps taken during the transport of specimens when carrying out **, i.e., the importance of the value chain. Allowing the identification of points of information that must be exchanged throughout the value chain, thus providing greater opportunities for improved traceability.
Parties to the Convention** have also encouraged the use of DNA technology, including DNA analysis of forensic evidence when prosecuting wildlife trafficking; The use of stable isotopes and other techniques is encouragedto ensure that wildlife is legal, sustainable and traceable. For example, the Consortium for the Barcode of Life is working on a project to try to create reliable and inexpensive ways to make species identification easier.
However, the potential of current technology has not yet been fully realized. The full automation of the Convention** system remains a goal. Many DNA and isotope technologies are difficult to use and remain unusable for many countries, especially those whose communities are most affected by criminal activity.
Another challenge remains the convergence, integration, and collaboration of different technologies to create a single framework. A single framework enables analysis, identification, and complete traceability. The use of new technologies is fragmented, inequitable and not fully integrated into the Convention's processes.
During our work on the Convention, we worked closely with Parties to begin converting paper permits and certificates to electronic format. This initiative led to the launch of the 2010 Convention Electronic Licensing Toolkit. The toolkit is an electronic system for the coordination of all relevant documents, allowing the use of a single window environment to harmonize Convention licences and certificates with other required documents.
In order to encourage Parties to move towards a fully electronic** environment,The Convention secretariat, in cooperation with the United Nations** and UNDAD, has incorporated the Convention's licences and certificates into its Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA).。ASYCUDA is an electronic customs management system for foreign trade procedures. To date, the system is being used in 102 countries and territories around the world.
The Secretariat is also working with Parties developing similar customs management systems to harmonize the Convention's licences and certificates with those systems. Among the customs management systems of these Parties, those of the Republic of Korea and Singapore are used by many Parties to the Convention.
The Secretariat began working with Parties in 2012 to strengthen its work on traceability systems and the description of the Convention's value chains. The ability to track specimens will provide the Convention with better tools to combat illegal wildlife trafficking, provide additional data for analysis, and improve legality.
The Secretariat has also endeavoured to harmonize the Convention's procedures with those of other United Nations organizations. In 2015, we completed the initial work of harmonizing the Convention's licences and certificates with those of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). The use of the IPPC phytosanitary certificate for the use of the Convention specimens is an important effort to enhance synergies. The Secretariat has also carried out seed projects with non-** organizations, including GS1, the development agency for barcodes. As soon as barcodes were introduced, they revolutionized business.
The Secretariat has established two working groups. The first working group on electronic licenses and certificates was established in 2005 and the second working group on specimen traceability was established in 2015. The two working groups are designed to facilitate their work and to promote the participation and buy-in of Parties. Switzerland and the United Kingdom have given special support to the activities promoted by the working groups.
These are all part of the process of creating the necessary prerequisites for moving towards e-licensing. However, despite best efforts, it is not yet time to ensure significant changes in resources to radically change the way the Convention** process is implemented. Given the rapidly changing global, regional and national policy and legal landscape, the time may have come to ensure that the benefits of these changes are sufficient to support the scale of investment required.
Forge ahead
A potential new framework for the Convention would be based on several different elements. First of all, it is necessary to create a completely decentralized but reliable license and certificate exchange system for electronic documents. Such a system must be traceable, secure, and easy to implement. It must also be able to integrate the different elements that support the Convention** process, including the issuance and receipt of documents, more seamless integration with the Convention's appendices and catalogues, the registration of the issuance and receipt of permits and certificates in the Convention** database, the ability to track the movement of goods throughout the value chain, and the development of affordable identification tools.
Blockchain
If the Convention's electronic licensing system is considered as a network between Contracting PartiesBlockchain will provide the means for the electronic licensing process, making it a distributed database or ledger; so that it can be shared between many different nodes or, in the context of CITES, between their management and scientific authorities. Blockchain is recognized for its ability to enhance the security of distributed systems and provide a decentralized record of transactions. This is achieved through what people call immutability in "blockchain terminology", which is its ability to make data immutable.
Blockchain will also eliminate the need for third-party centralized servers, gateways, or storage facilities, providing the Convention Authority with instant, traceable, and secure authorityThat is, point-to-point, point-to-point information exchange. Given that the specimen must be accompanied by a copy of the permit or certificate, blockchain could also provide the basis for starting the implementation of a much-needed system to track specimens throughout the Convention's value chain. The idea is not new, in fact, the Convention Secretariat released the "Blockchain Challenge" in 2017. Maybe it was ahead of its time.
Artificial intelligence
The value of AI to the Convention** lies in its potential to combine with blockchain to create the new framework needed for truly legal, sustainable and traceable international wildlife**. That is to say,While blockchain and AI as separate technologies can bring significant benefits to the Convention, the Convention can only be radically improved if they are used together.
The possible impact of AI on the Convention, even when used independently of blockchain, is highlighted in the application currently being used by customs at ports of entry, exit and transit, especially airports.
For example, the use of artificial intelligence in image analysis has greatly improved the detection of illegal specimens. In addition, AI-powered machine analytics streamlines the shipping process while reducing error detection.
AI-empowered non-invasive inspections provide a more efficient way to identify anomalies in specimens as well as baggage and cargo. It can verify manifests and reduce smuggling attempts.
However,In the context of the Convention, AI on the blockchain could provide easier data analysis, monitoring and tracing of species, as well as greatly improved identification tools. It also radically reduces the error rate when entering data in licenses and certificates. Currently, Convention data have lost their value due to delays in the preparation and analysis of licensing and certificate data in the annual reports submitted to the Secretariat.
It is assumed that better progress has been made in transitioning the national licensing system to an electronic format,Blockchain provides the means to register data in real-time in the Convention** database, while AI can provide an easier and less restrictive way to analyse data. For example, it is possible to perform up-to-date data analysis and overview of any specimen in **, while eliminating the time-consuming and error-prone work of writing paper licenses and certificates and submitting them as annual reports. It may also eliminate the need to contract with third parties to analyze the data. The error rate will be significantly reduced by the availability of checksums and the full integration of electronic Convention checklists and appendices. Finally, AI-based analysis can be cost-effective, provide equitable access, and increase the impact and authority of the Convention.
Given that data in a blockchain environment is immutable and can be traced anywhere along the value chain, it becomes easier to implement a traceability system. However, the real value of these systems lies in the ability to monitor the transport of samples in real-time and determine their transport along the value chain. In this way, it will provide greater security for legitimate traders and make it more challenging for wildlife traffickers to wash illegally harvested wildlife in the value chain. It will also provide the means to optimize specimen transport at every step of the process, which is a particularly important issue for live specimen transport.
Finally, the combination of AI and blockchain will develop more cost-effective and effective identification tools for customs or national authorities. DNA forensics, or simpler techniques based on visualization, will be significantly ahead of the more cumbersome process using many of the identification manuals currently in use. What's more, it will make identification through DNA technology fairer for countries in the Global South.
Conclusion
New technologies, such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, have transformative potential to improve the implementation of the Convention and ensure the legitimacy and traceability of the winning specimens. However, the use of these technologies alone does not bring the greatest benefits. More precisely, they can only yield the greatest benefits if they converge on the development of a new interoperable framework for legal, sustainable and traceable**.
In order to achieve this, a faster transition from a paper-based licensing system to an electronic format is required. They need to financially support the development of blockchain Convention systems and AI tools and processes. Finally, they need to insist on innovation in business.
The Convention was the first biodiversity-related convention to enter into force in July 1975. Despite its drawbacks, it is also one of the most effective. Parties have historically been willing to strengthen their procedures, from compliance to review of material **.
The technologies available in the 21st century are essential if the Convention is to fully fulfil its mission and contribute to the achievement of the goals set out in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
The Convention now lists more than 40,000 species of wild animals and plants. Over the past 15 years, an increasing number of marine and timber species have been brought under the control of the Convention. This is not just a matter of the Convention. New laws and policies at the national and regional levels require enhanced disclosure and due diligence, including for wildlife and wildlife products, which has an impact on the industry, and countries are working towards the universally agreed targets set out in the Kunmeng Framework.
Embracing technology across the board will test the innovation capacity of the Convention's culture and will require new skill sets and additional resources. But this is not from scratch, and a lot of groundwork has been laid over the past decade.
Given the broader context in which the Convention operates, perhaps the time has come for us to finally see significant progress in the Convention** process into the twenty-first century.
This article was published on March 3, 2024, World Wildlife Day, United Nations. Celebrated annually since 2014, this year's theme is Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovations in Wildlife Conservation.
About the Author:
John EScanlon AO) is an experienced leader in the areas of environment, governance and sustainability. John Scanlon is the Chief Executive Officer of the Elephant Protection Initiative Foundation, Chair of the Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime, and Chair of the UK's Illegal Wildlife Challenge. From 2010 to 2018, he served as Secretary-General of the United Nations Convention on Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). He is the winner of the 2020 China Friendship Award.
Marcos Regis Silva is the Head of Knowledge Management and Outreach Services at the former CITES Secretariat of the Convention.
Translation: Yanjun Xu
Review: linda