Secretary-General's statements

Expert Conference on the EU Approach against Wildlife Trafficking John E. Scanlon CITES Secretary-General 10 April 2014, Brussels Commissioner Potočnik, Commissioner Malmström, Distinguished guests, friends and colleagues. The European Union, its Member States and its Commission have been longstanding and steadfast supporters of CITES - substantively, politically and financially.

I would like to express my sincere thanks for the invitation to join you today, which I think is a first for the CITES Secretariat. I would also like to recognize the CITES Scientific Authority of Mexico, which does an extraordinary job both nationally and through our various committee processes – and it will be hosting a joint meeting of the CITES Plants and Animals Committees in Veracruz next month.

    Fourteenth Session of the FAO Committee on  Fisheries Sub-Committee on Fish Trade (COFI-FT) Bergen, Norway, 24–28 February 2014   FAO-CITES related activities on commercially exploited aquatic species John E Scanlon, Secretary General, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)   Chairperson, Ms Astrid Holtan, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries. Distinguished delegates, colleagues.

Wildlife now has its own special day on the United Nations calendar. On 3 March we will for the first time ever celebrate World Wildlife Day. The 3rd of March is the opportunity for all of us - no matter who we are or where we are - to celebrate the beauty and variety of the millions of plants and animals that we share our planet with. While we cherish wildlife in its own right we should not forget that it also contributes to our personal well-being - from food to medicine – from culture to recreation.

London Conference on the Illegal Trade in Wildlife

‘The international dimension to illicit wildlife trafficking – an Overview’ Symposium: International Wildlife Trafficking London, 11-12 February, 2014 A United for Wildlife event hosted by Zoological Society of London John E. Scanlon Secretary-General, CITES Secretariat Abstract of Presentation For domestic or international trade in wildlife to be described as ‘illicit wildlife trafficking’ [1], it must contravene either domestic or international law (or both).

  SUSTAINABILITY AT THE INTERSECTION OF TRADE, ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT UNCTAD-CITES-OAS Side event to the Eighth Session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals

I would like to express my thanks to the Chinese Government for inviting me to Guangzhou today and to share some brief remarks with you this afternoon. Despite considerable efforts to combat wildlife crime, it continues to be a problem worldwide. There is strong evidence of the increased involvement of organized crime syndicates - and on some occasions rebel militia - in certain wildlife crimes that are operating through well-developed criminal networks. This has changed the dynamics of combating this highly destructive criminal activity, in particular as it relates to the African elephant.