Posted on 26 September
2013 | New York: Efforts to combat illicit
wildlife crime received a massive boost
today as heads of state and a number of
ministers outlined the serious impacts of
poaching and illicit wildlife trafficking.
During the most important
meeting of the year in international politics,
governments chose to highlight illicit wildlife
trafficking as a major threat to peace and
security, the rule of law and global development.
President Ali Bongo
of Gabon called for the appointment of a
special UN envoy on wildlife crime as well
as a UNGA resolution, a move that was supported
by the UK Secretary of State for Foreign
and Commonwealth Affairs William Hague and
the German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle,
as well as other representatives present
such as the Norwegian Minister of Environment.
President Ali Bongo
said, “Illicit wildlife crime is no longer
a simple environmental problem, it is a
transnational crime and a threat to peace
and security on our continent.”
The President of Tanzania,
Jakaya Kikwete highlighted the problem of
demand and called for help from the international
community to close markets.
Minister of Foreign
Affairs Guido Westerwelle highlighted that
for Germany “it is no longer a measure of
securing endangered species, it's about
countering the spread of organized crime
and preventing uncontrolled militarization.
This has become a problem of foreign and
security matters”.
“This is a step forward
in the fight against wildlife crime and
today countries have shown they are serious
in the fight against this organised crime,”
said Jim Leape, Director General of WWF
International.
“Wildlife trafficking
is now more organised, more lucrative, more
widespread and more dangerous than ever
before. It constitutes a threat to territorial
integrity, security and represents an invasion
as well as natural resources theft,” he
added.
The high level meeting,“Poaching
and illicit wildlife trafficking – a multidimensional
crime and a growing challenge to the international
community,” was hosted by the government's
of Germany and Gabon and was attended by
ministers and other high level representatives
from Chad, Thailand, UK, Norway, Belgium,
the US, Colombia.
Deputy Secretary-General
of the United Nations Jan Eliasson provided
an introduction, and the Executive Director
of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and
the Secretary General of the Economic Community
of Central African States both took the
floor.
Across town at an event
organized by the Clinton Global Initiative
conservations organizations, including WWF,
and world governments announced an $80 million
CGI Commitment to Action to save Africa’s
elephants.
Over the next three
years, the commitment makers and their partners
will fund and facilitate collaborated efforts
and resources to protect key African elephant
populations from poaching, while reducing
trafficking and halting demand for ivory.
Carter Roberts, president
& CEO of WWF-US said: “We know how to
solve this crisis. What’s been missing is
a united front from governments, NGOs and
the private sector to scale up resources
to stop the killing and crush the demand.
Look at what has been done with conflict
diamonds and fur from endangered species.
“The more people are
aware of the consequences of what they buy,
it changes what they do. “We need to do
the same with elephant ivory and rhino horn
and tiger bone,” he added.
+ More
Need for high level
action against wildlife crime reaffirmed
on World Rhino Day
Posted on 20 September
2013 | Gland, Switzerland: Governments meeting
in New York next week for the Opening of
the United Nations General Assembly should
seize the opportunity to accelerate efforts
to combat illicit wildlife trafficking,
WWF says.
“Sadly, as we approach
World Rhino Day on Sunday we are headed
toward another year of record poaching.
More than 600 rhinos have been killed in
South Africa alone,” said Jim Leape, Director
General of WWF International. “The criminal
syndicates targeting rhinos, elephants,
tigers and other species are also undermining
peace, security and economic development
in many countries.”
Because of its transnational
nature spanning source, transit and demand
countries, ending wildlife trafficking requires
both international collaboration between
countries, and internal coordination between
government agencies. WWF urges heads of
state to establish national task forces
consisting of police, customs, justice,
defence, environment and other specialized
agencies.
“Countries must take
action without delay and show they are serious
in the fight against wildlife crime. Only
a combination of strong criminal penalties,
zero tolerance of corruption and the disruption
of smuggling routes will bring this plague
to an end,” Leape said.
It is also essential
to combat the growing demand for illegal
wildlife products, which is driving poaching.
WWF is calling for government-led campaigns
to target consumer behaviour. A recent study
by wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC
examining attitudes toward rhino horn use
in Viet Nam found that most people know
of its illegality, but nevertheless associate
it with wealth and power.
WWF next week will join
the governments of Gabon and Germany at
the UN for a high level discussion on the
threats poaching and trafficking pose to
biodiversity and international stability.
Earlier this year a report by the UN Secretary
General stated that wildlife crime constitutes
a grave menace to peace and security in
some areas. The event, “Poaching and illicit
wildlife trafficking – a multidimensional
crime and a growing challenge to the international
community,” will take place at UN Headquarters
on 26 September 2013.
