Bile is a greenish-brown fluid which aids digestion, is secreted by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Bear bile is prized in traditional Chinese medicine where is is used for treating liver disease and headaches and in luxury cosmetics.

Chinese bear farms are notorious for cruel conditions where bears are kept alive in tiny cages and bile drained with pipes inserted into open wounds, the World Society for the Protection of Animals said.

"This is an important decision which recognizes the impact that illegal trade has on wild bear populations and that there is still a lot of work to be done," Adam Roberts of the Animal Welfare Institute said.

Though China and Thailand expressed initial dissatisfaction with the proposal, which was brought by Georgia, the measure was later approved without objection.