New Delhi: The surroundings ministry on Thursday stated a information file on Namibia in search of India’s assist for lifting a UN ban on alternate of ivory as a part of the cheetah deal “in large part is predicated on speculation, rumour and now no longer on facts”.
India and Namibia had on July 20 signed a percent on “flora and fauna conservation and sustainable biodiversity utilisation”.
The MoU stated the 2 nations “must are searching for to sell biodiversity conservation with precise consciousness on conservation and recuperation of cheetah of their former variety regions from which they went extinct” and “sharing and change of understanding and capacities aimed toward selling cheetah conservation in nations”.
The file stated: “While the phrase ivory has now no longer been mentioned, Namibia has already sought India’s backing, beneathneath the dedication to assist ‘sustainable management’ at CITES, for its longstanding thought to permit alternate in ivory derived from elephants.”
The ministry in a declaration stated: “The story ‘Under Cheetah deal, sought India’s assist on lifting ivory ban: Namibia’ posted with the aid of using Indian Express on thirteenth October, 2022 in large part is predicated on speculation, rumour and now no longer on facts.”
“Though the settlement signed among the Government of the Republic of Namibia and Government of the Republic of India includes ‘flora and fauna conservation and sustainable biodiversity utilization’ as one of the regions of cooperation, this can not be construed as assist for lifting the ban on alternate in endangered species,” the declaration read.
It stated the Indian authorities has now no longer acquired any written verbal exchange from Namibia concerning lifting of the ban on ivory alternate.
“As sovereign nations, each India and Namibia will examine their positions on sustainable biodiversity utilisation in the ambit of settlement primarily based totally at the standards of mutual respect, sovereignty, equality and withinside the great hobby of the parties,” it stated.
Trade of flora and fauna frame elements is banned beneathneath the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Namibia and some different nations which includes Botswana and South Africa need CITES to boost the ban on sure flora and fauna merchandise in order to promote stockpiles of ivory and different flora and fauna elements the world over and generate sales for flora and fauna conservation.