The United Nations General
Assembly decided to proclaim 3 March as
World Wildlife Day, to celebrate and raise
awareness of the world's wild fauna and
flora.
Geneva, 23 December 2013 - On 20 December
2013, the Sixty-eighth session of the United
Nations General Assembly decided to proclaim
3 March, the day of the adoption of the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),
as World Wildlife Day, to celebrate and
raise awareness of the world's wild fauna
and flora.
In its resolution, the General Assembly
reaffirmed the intrinsic value of wildlife
and its various contributions, including
ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific,
educational, cultural, recreational and
aesthetic, to sustainable development and
human well-being, and recognized the important
role of CITES in ensuring that international
trade does not threaten the species' survival.
FURTHER RESOURCES
UN General Assembly Resolution
The Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES)
The General Assembly requested the CITES
Secretariat, in collaboration with relevant
organizations of the United Nations system,
to facilitate the implementation of World
Wildlife Day.
Welcoming the news, CITES Secretary-General,
Mr John E. Scanlon, said, "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."
"We invite all
member States, relevant organizations of
the United Nations system as well as all
other interested organizations and individuals
- from airports to museums to schools -
to get involved in this global celebration
of wildlife", added Scanlon
The CITES Secretariat
has created a dedicated World Wildlife Day
Facebook page to share news and stories
of the Day, which can be followed at: https://www.facebook.com/WorldWildlifeDay
Background
In its resolution, the
UN General Assembly noted the resolution
made at the 16th meeting of the Conference
of the Parties to CITES (CoP16) held in
Bangkok from 3 to 14 March 2013, designating
3 March as World Wildlife Day, in order
to celebrate and raise awareness of the
world's wild fauna and flora.
The CITES resolution
was sponsored by the Kingdom of Thailand,
the Host of CITES CoP16, which transmitted
the outcomes of CITES CoP16 to the UN General
Assembly.
United Nations observances
contribute to the achievement of the purposes
of the UN Charter and promote awareness
of and action on important political, social,
cultural, humanitarian or human rights issues.
They provide a useful means for the promotion
of international and national action and
stimulate interest in United Nations activities
and programmes. For international years
and decades the UN Secretary General takes
action to establish the preparatory process,
evaluation and follow-up procedures.
The majority of observances
have been established by the UN General
Assembly and some have been designated by
UN specialized agencies.
In 1950, the General
Assembly approved the first international
day - Human Rights Day - to be observed
on 10 December. Resolution 423 (V) invited
all states and international organizations
to observe this day to celebrate the proclamation
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
by the General Assembly on 10 December 1948,
and to exert increasing efforts in this
field.
Note to editors:
For more information,
contact Juan Carlos Vasquez at +41 22 917
8156 or juan.vasquez@cites.org.
About CITES
With 179 Member States,
CITES remains one of the world's most powerful
tools for biodiversity conservation through
the regulation of trade in wild fauna and
flora. Thousands of species are internationally
traded and used by people in their daily
lives for food, housing, health care, ecotourism,
cosmetics or fashion.
CITES regulates international
trade in over 35,000 species of plants and
animals, including their products and derivatives,
ensuring their survival in the wild with
benefits for the livelihoods of local people
and the global environment. The CITES permit
system seeks to ensure that international
trade in listed species is sustainable,
legal and traceable.
CITES was signed in
Washington D.C. on 3 March 1973.
