10 June 2016 – A United Nations-backed partnership fun has approved
an additional $40 million to expand its support of a global programme
fighting against illegal trafficking to a total of 19 countries in
Africa and Asia.
The expansion for the Global Wildlife Program was approved by
the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and includes contributions from
the Asian Development Bank, the International Union for Conservation of
Nature, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Bank Group and the World Wildlife Fund.
“The victims of wildlife crime are not only the animals and
ecosystems that are devastated by poaching and trafficking, they are
people as well. The human cost of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife
is measured in lives lost to the criminal networks involved and
livelihoods destroyed by the erosion of a natural economic foundation,” said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.
“Ending the illegal trade in wildlife requires a concerted and
cooperative effort between all sectors. These new projects will further
these efforts and help bring us closer to ending wildlife crime once and
for all,” he added.
Specifically, the Global Wildlife Program was established to
address the growing poaching crisis and an international call to action.
The value of illegal trade has been estimated at between $10 and $23
billion per year, making wildlife crime the fourth most lucrative
illegal business after narcotics, human trafficking and weapons, UNEP
said.
The new $131 million agenda is expected to leverage $704 million
in additional co-financing over seven years. The national projects aim
to promote wildlife conservation, wildlife crime prevention, and
sustainable development in order to reduce adverse impacts to known
threatened species from poaching and illegal trade.
Additionally, a global coordination grant from the GEF will
strengthen cooperation and facilitate knowledge exchange between
national governments, development agency partners and leading
practitioners, UNEP said.
“Poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking are reaching
unprecedented levels, robbing the livelihoods of local communities and
eroding the global commons,” said Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO and Chairperson.
“In response, the GEF has launched a major international effort to help
tackle the supply, trade and demand for wildlife products. Importantly,
the project is not only about stopping the slaughter of animals in the
forests and savannas of Africa; it also aims at reducing the demand in
Asia.”
This past month, at the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-2) in Nairobi, GEF joined other partners to support the launch of the Go Wild for Life
campaign, a UN-led campaign that urges politicians, celebrities and
business leaders to help bring global attention to the fight against the
illegal wildlife trade.
“Wildlife poaching and the illicit trade of wildlife and forest
products are abhorrent. This multi-billion dollar worldwide trade is a
security issue, an environmental issue, and a development issue,” said
UNDP Administrator Helen Clark.
“It is pushing vulnerable and endangered species toward
extinction. The illicit trade is also fuelling corruption and conflict,
destroying lives, and deepening poverty and inequality. If not addressed
decisively, illicit poaching and wildlife trade will have significant
national economic impacts,” she added.
In June 2015, the GEF approved 10 national projects from
Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gabon, India, Indonesia, Mozambique,
Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Zambia. Today's announcement expands
that program to strengthen the capacity of Governments to combat
poaching and trafficking of wildlife, and wildlife products in key range
and transit countries that are in the front lines of combatting
wildlife crime.
The nine additional countries include Afghanistan, Kenya,
Malawi, Mali, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.
Activities in the Global Wildlife Program in the source
countries will include enhancing anti-poaching tracking and intelligence
operations, increasing the size of conservation areas and improving
their management, and providing opportunities for development through
nature-based tourism and other agriculture, forestry and natural
resource projects that benefit local communities.
In transit countries, the Global Wildlife Program will support
anti-smuggling and customs controls, while in demand countries, it will
initiate targeted awareness-raising campaigns to help increase legal
deterrents for purchase of wildlife and wildlife products
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