2 October 2015: The International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF) hosted a high-level event on illegal wildlife trafficking in Africa, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, the US. Participants used the event to discuss commitments and possible partnerships to strengthen the fight against illicit trade on the continent.

Ibrahim Thiaw, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Deputy Executive Director, acknowledged that wildlife crime has escalated rapidly and globally. He underscored that wildlife and forest crime, which also affects many low-profile animals and plants worldwide, is worth tens of billion US dollars each year. Noting that organized criminal groups, militant and terrorist groups profit from extraction, extortion and illegal taxation, Thiaw stressed the importance of consolidating national frameworks and judicial systems in support of wildlife conservation. He highlighted successful anti-poaching measures, such as the Black Mambas, a South African women’s anti-poaching community group that won the 2015 UN Champions of the Earth award.

Guest speakers at the event included Heads of State from African countries impacted by the illegal wildlife trafficking crisis, including H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, President of Tanzania; H.E. Ali Bongo Ondimba; President of the Gabonese Republic, and H.E. Peter Mutharika; President of the Republic of Malawi. Representatives from the European Commission, ICCF, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) also participated along with ministers, leaders of development organizations, global corporations, non-governmental organizations and philanthropists. [Ibrahim Thiaw Statement] [UNEP Press Release] [ICCF Website] [IISD Natural Resources Policy & Practice Story on Champions of the Earth]