ID :
359014
Wed, 03/04/2015 - 07:50
Auther :

Ban urges nations to ‘get serious’ about wildlife crime

TEHRAN, Mar. 04 (MNA) – In a message on World Wildlife Day, UN Secretary General has urged all consumers, suppliers and governments to treat wildlife crimes as a threat to all people’s sustainable future. The United Nations General Assembly has declared 3 March as World Wildlife Day. On this second observance of the Day, Ban Ki-moon called on all nations across the world “to get serious about wildlife crime”. Noting Illegal trade in wildlife has become a sophisticated transnational form of crime, comparable to trafficking of drugs and humans, Mr. Ban asserted “there is strong evidence of the increased involvement of organized crime networks and non-State armed groups.” “Illegal wildlife trade undermines the rule of law and threatens national security; it degrades ecosystems and is a major obstacle to the efforts of rural communities and indigenous peoples striving to sustainably manage their natural resources,” said Mr. Ban in the statement, stressing combatting this crime was not only essential for conservation efforts but for achieving peace and security in troubled regions. Ban Ki-moon called for support from all sections of society involved in the production and consumption of wildlife products in order to get serious about wildlife crime; “Businesses and the general public in all countries can play a major role by, for example, refusing to buy or auction illegal ivory and rhinoceros horn, and insisting that products from the world’s oceans and tropical forests have been legally obtained and sustainably sourced,” the message concluded.

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