Giraffes are a threatened species and many of their populations are endangered and declining.

But until now, no international regulations governed their trade. On Thursday, at a conference in Geneva, countries overwhelmingly agreed to add giraffes to the list of animals protected by the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES.

While trade in giraffes will still be allowed, countries will be required to take measures to ensure it does not detrimentally affect populations.

“Giraffes are one of the most emblematic species in Africa, but until now, they were not protected on the international level,” said Col. Abba Sonko, head of Senegal’s CITES delegation. Senegal, along with the Central African Republic, Chad, Kenya, Mali and Niger, nominated giraffes for inclusion in the convention. “We realized their populations are decreasing year to year, so we wanted to list the species in CITES to increase protections,” he said.

Some experts question, however, whether regulating trade will make a meaningful difference for giraffes.