21 February 2014: The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has announced the launch of the website developed for the occasion of World Wildlife Day.

The website features a section on the history of World Wildlife Day, a description of scheduled events, outreach materials and a section for children. The endorsements of several representatives of international organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), World Trade Organization (WTO), UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the UN Office at Nairobi (UNON), provide key messages for the site. Events thus far scheduled for World Wildlife Day include a ‘Wild and Precious’ exhibition in Geneva and the Tokyo Conference on Combating Wildlife Crime.

With the adoption of Resolution A/C.2/68/L.48, the 68th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) decided to proclaim 3 March, which is the anniversary of the adoption of CITES, as World Wildlife Day, to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora. The resolution reaffirms the intrinsic value of wildlife and its contributions to sustainable development and human well-being, and recognizes the role of CITES in ensuring that international trade does not threaten species’ survival. [CITES Press Release] [World Wildlife Day website] [IISD RS Story on World Wildlife Day logo]