Next March, assuming everything goes smoothly, Thailand will host a major meeting of delegates from the 175 nations that are members of CITES, to talk about ivory. CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, charged with helping the world take common-sense measures to protect wildlife. In the past few years, CITES has lost the plot entirely on elephants. When it brings its convention to Bangkok, it wants to pass a treaty opening up the ivory trade again.
