NAMM Presents Industry Coalition at CITES Conference of the Parties to Address Musical Instruments and CITES Protected Species

Michael Jousserand, Buffet Crampon and CAFIM; Mary Luehrsen, NAMM; Bob Taylor, Taylor Guitars; Heather Noonan, League of American Orchestras; Luisa Fiona Wilshire, Madinter Trade; Scott Paul, Taylor Guitars; Fanny Reyre-Menard, CSFI; and John Bennett, International Association of Violin and Bow Makers

On November 14, at an official event of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Conference of the Parties (CoP) in Panama City, Panama, NAMM hosted a convening to address issues relevant to the music products industry. A coalition of industry members outlined specific concerns about a proposal for Pernambuco, the Brazilian wood of choice for stringed instrument bow makers, along with proposals to expand the musical instrument certificate program for musicians to travel internationally with instruments containing protected species, and the procedure for approving annotations for protected species.

At the CoP event, over 170 countries were represented to address these matters, including to review and create policy for global trade impacting endangered species.

Mary Luehrsen, NAMM’s senior advisor for public affairs welcomed attendees at a mid-day gathering. Heather Noonan, vice president of advocacy of the League of American Orchestras, led a discussion with Matthew Strickler, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Fish and Wildlife and Parks at the U.S. Department of the Interior and the official representative from the United States to the CoP. Bob Taylor, co-founder of Taylor Guitars, spoke to his company’s commitment to ethically and sustainably sourced tonewoods. John Bennett of the International Association of Violin and Bow Makers, Michael Jousserand of Buffet Crampon and CAFIM, and Fanny Reyre Menard of France’s CSFI outlined specific impacts of policy proposal. The summaries and coalition recommendations are outlined on the NAMM website, here: https://www.namm.org/issues-and-advocacy/regulatory-compliance/namm-members-represented-cop-19-cites-gathering

Prior to the CoP, information on these topics was submitted to the CITES Secretariat, in the three working languages of the Convention: Spanish, French, and English, by a collective of more than 50 associations and companies. NAMM is a key member of the informal working group of music products industry stakeholders that drafted the statements and continues to closely monitor CITES activities.