Gains made in combating the illegal trade in wildlife products may be undermined unless there is global cooperation to address demand and corruption driving poaching, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep).
Unep Deputy Executive Director Ibrahim Thiaw emphasized the need for collaborative efforts among governments, institutions, and civil society to review policies and legislation aimed at eliminating wildlife crimes in Africa.
Thiaw made these remarks on the sidelines of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2) in Nairobi, where he highlighted the threats posed by the illicit trade in wildlife resources to the continent's economies, security, and ecosystems.
Kitili Mbathi, Director of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), noted that while Kenya has achieved significant success in tackling the illegal supply of wildlife products over the past two years, these efforts are being hindered by inadequate focus on the global demand side.
Mbathi expressed his concerns ahead of a high-level dialogue on the illegal wildlife trade, which also marked the launch of the UN Wild for Life campaign. This initiative seeks to foster collaboration, implement policies, and engage grassroots participation to raise awareness among communities in both source and destination countries about the fight against poaching.
The recovered account cited reporting by Mediamax.
