Media roundtable to raise awareness on Illegal Trade in Wildlife
Nairobi, 24 May 2016 – A media roundtable was held today at UNEP to raise awareness on illegal trade in wildlife. The event comes before the launch of the UN WildforLife campaign that will be launched tomorrow.
The discussion drew panelists with diverse backgrounds and experience in wildlife and environmental conservation and in combating crimes and criminal networks.
The panelists shared their experiences and knowledge on a number of issues that are necessary in addressing illegal trade in wildlife, noting that to be successful, wildlife crimes must be treated and punished as criminal offences. Governments must thus step up the game in their efforts to fight the vice by not just enacting laws but fully enforcing them.
Various heads of UN agencies such as the UN Environment Programme, UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), have renewed calls on governments and other stakeholders to raise the bar in combatting this criminal activity through policy adoptions, laws, awareness campaigns, capacity building of enforcement agencies and other measures that can help in effectively addressing the issue.
Ibrahim Thiaw, Deputy Executive Director of UNEP said that the illegal trade in wildlife is not just an African issue (though Africa suffers the most from its effects), but a global problem; hence, coordinated efforts are needed at the global level to address the issue.
The Director of the Kenya Wildlife Service, Dr. Kitili Mbathi outlined the measures taken by the Government of Kenya to address the illegal trade, the highlight of which was the recent burning of ivory stock piles by H.E. President Uhuru Kenyatta last month. Mr. Mbathi reiterated the message from the government of Kenya that ivory is only valuable on a live elephant or rhino.
Fighting and stopping the illegal trade in wildlife is crucial to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
#WildforLife campaign aims to mobilize people from across the world to make commitments and take action to end the illegal trade in wildlife.
