Conservation Act it is the COA; and the administration office for the National
Parks is under the Construction and Planning Agency of the Ministry of the
Interior (CPAMI).^46
Impact of International Conventions
Since its withdrawal from the UN in 1971, Taiwan has had limited
representation in international government organizations. In 2005, it had
diplomatic relationships with only 25 nations. One might suspect that
diplomatic isolation would limit the impact of international environmental
conventions on Taiwan’s domestic policy and behavior, but this is a hypothesis
with little confirming evidence. As we shall see, Taiwan has been strongly
influenced by CITES, by the Convention on Biodiversity, and by the Rio
Summit’s popularization of sustainable development.
CITES
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (CITES) was established in 1973 in order to protect wildlife species
from overexploitation due to international trade. Some 160 nations are parties
to the convention, including most nations in the industrialized West (and most
of Taiwan’s trading partners).
The CITES Convention operates by requiring signatory parties to regulate
international trade in species listed in its three appendices. Appendix I includes
species threatened with extinction by international trade. These species are
strictly regulated and are not allowed to be commercially traded interna-
tionally. Appendix II includes all species which may become extinct if their
trade is not regulated. To engage in trade for an Appendix II species, a CITES
permit is required. Species may be added or deleted from these two restrictive
appendices only by a two-third’s majority vote at a Conference of Parties
(COP) of CITES.
Taiwan did not participate in the original CITES, and is not formally bound
by its provisions. However, Taiwan is dependent on international trade, and
particularly vulnerable to adverse actions of major trading partners such as the
US and European Union Member States. For this reason, Taiwan tends to
observe most CITES regulations and restrictions. The foreign trade office
(Kuo-mao Chu) in the Ministry of Economics Affairs issues CITES permits
for Appendix II species.
Convention on biological diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was the product of the UN
Conference on Environment and Development at Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Over
180 nations signed the accord, which sought the conservation of biodiversity,
The framework for biodiversity conservation 81