Wildlife enriches the planet and those living on it

Today is World Wildlife Day - a day set aside by the UN General Assembly to promote the intrinsic value of wildlife and its contribution to sustainable development and human well-being.

Two global conventions are at the forefront of wildlife conservation in the UN system: the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. They are natural allies in the conservation of wildlife and exemplify the benefits of taking multilateral measures and of what can be achieved by acting together rather than alone.

Securing agreement among like-minded countries can be a Herculean task, but it is wildlife conservation interests that can also bring together around the table states that may be in conflict. For instance, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda put aside their differences to work to protect the gorillas of the Virunga National Park.

African elephants are being poached in record numbers to satisfy a demand for ivory thousands of miles away, primarily, but not exclusively, in Asian markets, with third countries acting as transit points for this illicit trade.

The battle to save the elephant does not only have to be fought in the national parks of Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa. It must also be fought in the hearts and minds of consumers in Hong Kong, China and Vietnam, as well as in the US and Europe. Authorities from across all regions are stepping up the fight. In China, there has been a series of national and cross-regional enforcement crackdowns on wildlife crimes over the past two years.

For parties to the two conventions, the benefits of international co-operation are clear. The species covered by the two conventions either migrate or are traded across national borders. Conserving and sustainably using them necessitates co-ordinated action along the entire migration route or global value chains.