27 September 2015: At a high-level stakeholder dialogue hosted by the Governments of Gabon and Germany and held on the sidelines of the UN Sustainable Development Summit, heads of UN agencies, ministers of UN Member States and leaders from the private sector reaffirmed their political commitment to fight illegal trade in wildlife.

The high-level dialogue was jointly organized by UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the World Bank and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

The event marked the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), celebrating especially SDG 14 (Oceans) and SDG 15 (Terrestrial Ecosystems), which pertain to the protection of wildlife, and related targets on combating poaching and trafficking of protected species, which support implementation of UN Resolution A/69/L.80 on ‘Tackling Illicit Trafficking of Wildlife,’ adopted in July 2015. Event participants discussed the effectiveness of current efforts to combat illegal trade in wildlife and considered the coordinated response of the UN System, UN Member States and civil society.

In her key note address, UNDP Administrator Helen Clark called for creating economic opportunities for communities, strengthening governance and law enforcement and reducing demand for illegal wildlife products. Other speakers emphasized the need for increased political commitment, financial and technical support, and strengthening national responses and international cooperation. [Joint Press Release of UNDP, UNODC, CITES, WCS and World Bank] [Speech by Helen Clark] [UN Press Release on the Resolution on Tackling Illicit Trafficking of Wildlife] [IISD Natural Resources Policy & Practice Story on Adoption of Resolution A/69/L.80]