Secretary-General's statements

On January 2, new rules related to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) take effect, bringing hundreds of additional timber species under its legally binding global trade controls.   Conferences, declarations and reports highlight the scale of the challenge of sustainably and legally regulating trade in valuable timber. Yet, there is only one international agreement that obliges states across the value chain to ensure legal and sustainable trade in timber, and that is CITES.

CITES and Livelihoods Workshop Opening remarks by Mr John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General 23 November 2016, George, South Africa   Deputy Director-General, Mr Shonisani Munzhedzi, Distinguished guests and friends and colleagues from CITES Parties and international organizations,

Conferencia sobre Comercio Ilegal de Vida Silvestre de Hanói Intervención de John E. Scanlon, Secretario General, CITES Sesión Plenaria Del 17 al 18 de noviembre de 2016 – Hanói, Vietnam   Honorable Viceministro de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural de Viet Nam, Dr. Ha Cong Tuan   Honorables Ministros Distinguidos invitados Amigos y colegas Es maravilloso estar nuevamente en la hermosa ciudad de Hanói. Viet Nam es Parte en la CITES desde 1994,  momento desde el que ha tomado muchas medidas importantes para aplicar la Convención.

Observaciones sobre la destrucción de marfil de elefante y cuerno de rinoceronte confiscado en Hanoi, Viet Nam John E. Scanlon, Secretario General de la CITES 12 de noviembre de 2016   Sr. Ha Cong Tuan, Viceministro de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural, Distinguidos invitados, señoras y señores, Deseo expresar mi más sincero agradecimiento al Ministro de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural de Viet Nam por invitarme a ser testigo de la destrucción hoy en Hanoi de dos toneladas confiscadas de marfil de elefante africano y cuerno de rinoceronte.

In every corner of our planet, a variety of threats such as habitat loss, climate change, over-exploitation and illegal trade put intense pressure on wild populations of animals and plants. Illicit trafficking in wildlife now takes place at an industrial scale driven by transnational organized criminal groups. The phenomena poses a real and immediate danger to some of our most precious species.

NEW YORK – Poor and rural people around the world rely on plants and animals for shelter, food, income, and medicine. In fact, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 15) on sustainable ecosystems acknowledges many developing societies’ close relationship with nature when it calls for increased “capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities.” But how is this to be achieved?

In every corner of the world, wild plants and animals are under intense pressure as a result of habitat destruction, climate change, over-exploitation and illegal trade, which is taking place on an industrial scale. This is why, at the start of CITES #CoP17, I said the Johannesburg World Wildlife Conference was ‘critical’ to securing the future of wildlife.

CITES CoP17 John E. Scanlon, Secretario General de la CITES Discurso en la ceremonia de apertura Johannesburgo, 24 de septiembre de 2016   Honorables ministros Distinguidos invitados Amigos y colegas ----- Foto: IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth Es un inmenso placer estar aquíen la ciudad de Johannesburgo, el corazón vibrante de Sudáfrica, en un día tan señalado. ¡Feliz Día del Patrimonio!