Publication

In light of America's ban on the commercial sale of ivory and China possibly following suit, this paper argues that what’s needed next is a re-examination of human values towards both elephants and ivory. The values, after all, act as arbitrators of meaning, sources of interests and – when collectively framed as regulatory norms regimes – the basis of compliance for local communities that share environments with elephants. The paper also addresses how policymakers might better ensure that the norms agreed upon at multilateral forums, such as Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Floras (CITES), gain traction “on the ground,” where it really matters.