The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously this week to adopt a resolution which would sanction “individuals and entities” which use wildlife trafficking to support armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
A separate sanctions regime targeting the link between illegal wildlife trade and regional instability was also adopted for the Central African Republic.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power noted that the decision “should help not only in promoting stability, but also in protecting our endangered species around the world.”
“The DRC and CAR resolutions are critical. They illustrate the high priority that the Security Council places on ending the human pain and regional instability that accompany these environmental crimes,” said WWF species programme manager Wendy Elliot.
“Individuals involved in poaching and trafficking of wildlife are now singled out for sanctions where the proceeds of their activities have been used to finance conflict.”
TRAFFIC’s Programme Director for Africa and Europe, Roland Melisch, said, “These Security Council resolutions include recognition of the destabilizing influence of wildlife poaching operations on national security.”
“There can be no clearer statement of the seriousness of wildlife crime.”
In March 2013, U.N. Secretary Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that wildlife trafficking, particularly the illicit ivory trade, “constitutes a grave menace to sustainable peace and security” in Central Africa.
The U.N. General Assembly has declared March 3 as World Wildlife Day, both to celebrate wildlife and to bring attention to the global wildlife trafficking crisis.
Rhishja Cota
I am the founder of Annamiticus and I have been researching and writing about wildlife trafficking issues since 2009. I also founded World Pangolin Day in 2012. I am the author of USAID Wildlife Asia's Pangolin Species Identification Guide: A Rapid Assessment Tool for Field and Desk. I co-facilitated and was a presenter at the USAID Wildlife Asia Pangolin Care Workshop. At the 4th Regional Dialogue on Combating Trafficking of Wild Fauna and Flora, I facilitated the species roundtables on pangolins. I have trekked with forest rangers in Cambodia, journeyed to the streets of Hanoi to research the illegal wildlife trade, and to the rainforests of Sumatra and Java to document the world’s rarest rhinos. At CITES meetings, I collaborate with colleagues from around the world to lobby in favor of protecting endangered species. I hosted the Behind the Schemes podcast and am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine. I enjoy music, desert gardening, herping, reading, creating, and walking with my dogs. Check out my t-shirts and stickers at snoots + teefers.