Parties at COP12 will make decisions that affect the international trade of 54 different types of wild animals and plants, but few proposals will have more of a detrimental impact, if passed, than the five from African nations that ask to begin an international trade in ivory.

Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, whose elephants are listed on Appendix II, propose to begin international trade in ivory, raw and carved, and to continue trading in elephants killed for trophies, live elephants, and elephant hides and leather goods. Zambia proposes to downlist its population of elephants to Appendix II to allow trade in raw tusks and live elephants.

If approved, these proposals would contribute to an already significant and growing illegal ivory trade. Allowing a legal trade in ivory will make it far more difficult to stop the trade in ivory from poached elephants. An ivory trade will also provide further incentives for poaching.

Some of the other, hot-button proposals on the table at COP12 include ones dealing with minke and Bryde's whales, Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish, whale sharks, basking sharks, and Black Sea bottlenose dolphins.

To learn more about these proposals, and to see where The HSUS stands on them, check out the synopses below.