The International Alliance against Health Risks in Wildlife Trade will host an in-person side event during the 81st meeting of the CITES Standing Committee. It will highlight the links between live wildlife trade and zoonotic disease risks and discuss opportunities for prevention-oriented measures, regulation and management.
Drawing on the Alliance’s recent white paper, Live Wildlife Trade and Markets, the event will present scientific evidence on the key drivers and risk factors associated with pathogen exposure and spillover along wildlife trade chains as well as how live wildlife trade affects human and animal health, biodiversity, ecosystems and global health security.
The discussion is relevant to the SC81 agenda item #14 on the Role of CITES in reducing the risk of future zoonotic disease emergence linked to international wildlife trade.
Side event info:
Date: November 3rd, 2026
Time: 5:15pm – 6:45pm (GMT)
Venue: CICG, Geneva, Switzerland – Foyer infirmerie. This event is open exclusively to participants registered for the CITES SC81 meeting.
The session will explore:
- Key drivers and risk factors linking live wildlife trade and markets to zoonotic disease emergence and transmission.
- Main findings and recommendations from the Alliance’s white paper on Live Wildlife Trade and Markets.
- Policy and regulatory approaches to reducing zoonotic spillover risks through prevention at source.
Speakers and programme
- Sofia Cortes, Coordinator of the Alliance Secretariat: Introduction to the Alliance and its work.
- Dr Barbara Maas, Alliance Steering Committee Member, Wildlife Trade and Biodiversity Conservation: Presentation of the white paper’s findings on live wildlife trade, markets and zoonotic risks.
- Dr Susan Lieberman, Alliance Steering Committee Member, Law and Regulation: Implications for regulation and management to reduce health risks associated with wildlife trade.
The programme also includes an opening film screening, an interactive Q&A session and closing remarks.
Let’s meet at CITES SC81! Alliance members attending, please get in touch at alliance-wildlife-health@woah.org