“Global
Community United to Address Wildlife and Forest Crime” – A special event at the 23rd
Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
John E. Scanlon, CITES
Secretary-General
13 May 2014, Vienna
Ambassadors,
Executive Director Fedotov, distinguished guests, friends and colleagues,
Over the past few years we have
witnessed a serious spike in the scale, and a change in the nature of, wildlife
and forest crime:
In Africa, close to twenty five
thousand elephants are being poached each year.
Over one thousand rhinos were
illegally killed in South Africa last year – the most ever poached in a single
year.
And illegally-harvested timber is
being smuggled out of Madagascar at unprecedented levels.
Wildlife and forest crime is one
of the most lucrative criminal activities worldwide and transnational organized
criminals are deeply involved in it.
These crimes are having a
devastating effect on our wildlife – threatening the survival of many species,
from charismatic mega-fauna to lesser-known plants and animals.
And they are also destroying the
natural resources on which many national economies – and the livelihoods of
rural communities – depend.
These consequences are hardest
felt by developing countries that are the source of many illicitly-traded
wildlife products – and it is undermining their efforts to eradicate poverty
and develop sustainable economic opportunities for their people.
Yet, encouragingly, we have also
seen strong statements made and bold action taken as the understanding of these
impacts on people and on wildlife has grown:
In 2012, the UN Conference on
Sustainable Development explicitly recognized the economic, social and
environmental impacts of illicit trafficking in wildlife.
Last year the UN Crime Commission
adopted a draft Resolution encouraging States to make illicit trafficking in
wild fauna and flora involving organized crime groups a serious crime, which
has since been adopted by ECOSOC.
And last year also saw the UN
Security Council adopt Resolutions on sanctions targeting armed groups in
Central Africa financed by activities such as poaching and wildlife
trafficking.
We have also seen significant
high-level political support to combat these crimes, such as through the CITES
Conference of the Parties in 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand, and several recent
high-level political events, including in Botswana and the United Kingdom.
There has clearly been a global
awakening at all political levels and across multiple agencies as to the
severity, and breadth, of the impacts of these devastating crimes.
We know the scale and nature of
the risk, we know what needs to be done, we have the political momentum, and we
must get on and do it and in quick time.
And bold action is being taken,
across the entire enforcement chain and illegal supply chain. Source, transit
and destination States are working together to bring this illicit activity to
an end such as through:
The implementation of the ICCWC
Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit which is being rolled out in seven
countries,
The completion of Operation Cobra
II, a coordinated enforcement operation across 28 States resulting in many
arrests and seizures,
And the training of enforcement
officers in techniques not previously used in wildlife enforcement, such as
controlled deliveries, anti-money-laundering tools and forensic analysis.
It is only by persisting with
efforts such as these – and by continuing to work together to build support and
investment to combat wildlife and forest crime – that we can stop this wanton
destruction of the world’s natural and cultural heritage.
I would like to recognize and
sincerely thank the European Union as a sponsor of this special event, as well
as our good friends and colleagues at UNODC for hosting it, and in particular
Executive Director Fedotov whose personal commitment to these issues is an
inspiration to all of us.
I thank you and wish you well for today’s special event. |
