In December, the UN General Assembly proclaimed the 3rd of March – the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) – as World Wildlife Day.
All member states, relevant UN agencies, and all other interested organizations and individuals (“from airports, to museums, to schools”) are invited to get involved in the international celebration of wildlife.
CITES Secretary-General John Scanlon described the goal of the internationally recognized Day: “World Wildlife Day is an ideal opportunity to celebrate the many beautiful and varied forms of wild fauna and flora and raise awareness of the multitude of benefits that conservation provides to people. At the same time, the Day reminds us of the urgent need to step up the fight against wildlife crime, which has wide-ranging economic, environmental and social impacts”.
{jcomments on}