Crackdown On Illegal Wildlife Trafficking

Last week the United Nations Economic and Social Council submitted a Resolution that will make it harder for illegal traffickers to hawk their wares—endangered plants and wild animals that have become the object of organized crime. The resolution passed at the 20^th Session of the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Vienna, and it will assist countries in putting a stop to illegal wildlife trafficking.

The yellow-headed parrot, Amazona oratrix

The Resolution was introduced by leader delegations from Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico and the Philippines, where the capture and sale of rare animals and forest products continue to pose a serious threat. The resolution would enhance cooperation between governments and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to apprehend traffickers. It also encourages countries to adopt stricter measures to combat and prevent illegal wildlife traffic, as well as enforce and adopt wildlife criminal laws.

For example, international crime rings have been implicated in the poaching of rhinoceroses, which are killed for their horns and sold on the black market. Elsewhere, animals are sold as bushmeat, pets, trophies or for medicinal purposes even where the species is threatened with extinction.

Defenders has already taken a lead role in Mexico by working with law enforcement officers and educating the public about the trade in endangered parrots. Juan Carlos Cantu in our Mexico office has met with top officials and published a comprehensive report on the illegal parrot trade that has led to a dramatic increase in seizures of the animals headed for the illegal market.

Learn more about what Defenders is doing to stop illegal wildlife trafficking.