Meeting in Samarkand at the end of 2025, the 20th Conference of the Parties (CoP20) to CITES marked a major turning point in the fight against the illegal trade in great apes. Member States unanimously approved the creation of a Great Apes Enforcement Task Force, an international mechanism dedicated to strengthening law enforcement against the trafficking of gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans. The decision was widely welcomed by conservation stakeholders, including the PEGAS programme.
This task force is not a new idea, but its revival responds to a well-documented emergency: despite being listed under CITES Appendix I—the highest level of protection—great apes continue to fall victim to a structured, cross-border, and increasingly sophisticated illegal trade. From illicit pet ownership and private attractions to trafficking in animal parts and covert sales on social media, criminal networks are adapting, exploiting legal loopholes and limited enforcement capacities in many countries.
One of the major challenges identified by experts is the abuse of so-called “captive-breeding” facilities. These structures are sometimes used to launder individuals taken from the wild, making the work of enforcement agencies extremely complex. This is compounded by the role of certain digital platforms and major international airport hubs, which have become critical points in illegal transit routes.
The Great Apes Enforcement Task Force aims to address these challenges through a coordinated approach. It will bring together range States—where great apes naturally occur—alongside transit and consumer countries, to share intelligence, best practices, and operational capacities. The objective is clear: to act across the entire trafficking chain, from capture to final sale, including transport and document falsification.
The task force will draw on the expertise of the CITES Secretariat and the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), as well as specialized networks such as the Great Ape Survival Partnership (GRASP) and the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA). Well-established non-governmental organizations, including the Jane Goodall Institute and Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue and Protection, will continue to play a key role in advocacy, rescue operations, and the care of confiscated animals.
While the task force’s mandate also covers orangutans in Southeast Asia, priority will be given to African great apes. For Central Africa—and particularly for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)—this focus is of strategic importance.
The DRC is home to an exceptional and globally unique biodiversity, including bonobos, lowland and mountain gorillas, and several chimpanzee populations. The strengthening of international cooperation decided at CITES CoP20 offers the country a concrete opportunity to better protect this natural heritage—by supporting national anti-trafficking efforts, improving cross-border investigations, and facilitating the care of confiscated animals. Beyond enforcement, the decision sends a strong political signal: the survival of protected species in the DRC is not solely a national responsibility, but a shared concern of the international community. For great apes—the living symbols of Congo’s forests—this represents a decisive step toward a safer future.
By Kilalopress