Global progress on wildlife protection to be reviewed on two summits in Botswana

GABORONE (Xinhua) - Botswana will host the African Elephant Summit on Monday, followed by another cross-region meeting the Illegal Wildlife Trade conference on Wednesday. The two meetings are expected to review the progress on conservation of wildlife among governments and organizations.

Following the first African Elephant Summit held in Botswana in 2013, this year's summit is themed as a follow-up meeting, during which participants will see status quo of the African elephants and related elephant killing and trade issues.

In a report released in June 2014, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) said poaching levels remain alarmingly high and continue to far exceed the natural elephant population growth rates, resulting in a further decline in elephant population across Africa. Over 20,000 Africa's elephants were illegally killed in 2013.

The report said for the first time, the number of large seizures of ivory (shipments over 500 kg) made in Africa exceeded those made in Asia.

Statistics from CTIES showed Southern Africa is home to the largest elephant population of Africa with around 55 percent, while Eastern Africa and Central Africa comes the second and the third with 28 percent and 16 percent respectively. West Africa holds 2 percent shared by the region's 13 countries.

According to the meeting schedule, participants will also voluntarily attend the meeting in implementation on National Ivory Action Plans (NIAPs) of CITES.

NIAPs is a practical tool that is being used by the Convention in 19 of these 22 parties to strengthen their controls of the trade in ivory and ivory markets, and help combat the illegal trade in ivory. The three parties including Democratic Republic of Congo, Laos and Nigeria haven't submitted their national plans until March 19 this year, according CITES.

During the first African Elephant Summit took place in Gaborone, Botswana in December 2013, a set of 14 urgent measures were adopted by consensus. Those include a zero tolerance approach for wildlife crime, strengthen interagency cooperation in range, transit, and consumer states, enhance capacity of law enforcement and wildlife protection agencies at national level, mobilize financial and technical resources from various national and international sources, out national studies and public awareness programs, database building, etc.

In this year's summit, the progress on implementation of the measures will also be reported.

The followed wildlife trade conference is set to be the first review of international progress on the actions in the declaration from the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade early last year.

The London conference attended by 41 nations and 10 international organizations delivered a declaration setting out 25 specific commitments aimed at eradicating the market for illegal wildlife products, ensuring effective deterrents, strengthening law enforcement and economic development.

According to the schedule of the Kasane conference, besides reporting on implementation and progress of the declaration, reinforcing actions would be discussed.

A UN-backed wildlife project, The Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP), revealed earlier this month wildlife and forest crime today has transformed into one of the largest transnational organized criminal activities alongside drug trafficking, arms, and trafficking in human beings.