UNEP is the leading voice on the Environment within the United Nations.
UNEP has contributed to combatting the illegal trade in wildlife and forest resources by delivering the best available science on threats to the future of wildlife, including those from illegal activities; improving the ability of nations to work together as a community to address the unprecedented threat from illegal trade in wildlife and; convening and empowering others to act.
UNEP’s draws on its comparative advantage on international and regional policy coordination; delivering science to inform policy dialogue; innovating public communication and awareness raising; supporting Ministerial forums and other processes where direct action is agreed and; supporting Governments in the developing effective national environmental management and governance systems.
As a result of UNEP’s work, significant progress has been made in garnering global engagement and support for combating illegal trade in wildlife.
A comprehensive and coordinated global response is a critical component of combatting illegal trade in wildlife.. Together with CITES, UNDP and UNODC we form the core of the UN response to this threat. UNEP provides the Secretariat for many prominent global and regional Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), such as Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention of Migratory Species (CMS), and many of the Regional Seas Conventions. These Conventions provide an important forum for us as a community of nations to bring to bear our collective efforts to tackle illegal trade in wildlife.