DECLARATION

LONDON CONFERENCE ON THE ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE
Declaration

1.

We, the representatives of Governments and Regional Economic Integration
Organisations, gathered in London on 13th February 2014, recognising the significant
scale and detrimental economic, social and environmental consequences of the
illegal trade in wildlife, make the following political commitment and call upon the
international community to act together to bring this to an end.

The scale and consequences of the illegal trade in wildlife
2.

There is a serious threat to the survival of many species if action is not taken to
tackle the illegal wildlife trade. Poaching and trafficking undermines the rule of law
and good governance, and encourages corruption. It is an organised and widespread
criminal activity, involving transnational networks. The proceeds are in some cases
used to support other criminal activities, and have been linked to armed groups
engaged in internal and cross border conflicts. Rangers and others dedicated to
protecting wildlife are being killed or injured in significant numbers.

3.

The illegal wildlife trade, and the poaching which feeds it, has in some places
reached unprecedented levels. Serious poaching incidents are more frequent, are
occurring in areas previously safe from such activity, and are more devastating in
scale. Individual poachers or ad hoc gangs are being increasingly replaced by wellresourced and organised groups including transnational criminal networks.

4.

The illegal wildlife trade robs States and communities of their natural capital and
cultural heritage, with serious economic and social consequences. It undermines the
livelihoods of natural resource dependent communities. It damages the health of the
ecosystems they depend on, undermining sustainable economic development. The
criminal activity and corruption associated with trafficking restricts the potential for
sustainable investment and development which is needed in new economic activities
and enterprises.

5.

Decisive and urgent action is now needed to tackle the illegal wildlife trade in
endangered fauna and flora. For many species, the illegal trade, and the poaching
which fuels it, is an ongoing and growing problem. There has been a particularly
dramatic escalation in the rate of poaching of elephants and rhinoceroses in some
places in recent years. The severe threat posed to these iconic species is increasingly
also a threat to regional security and sustainable development. Action to tackle the
illegal trade in elephants and rhinoceroses will strengthen our effectiveness in

tackling the illegal trade in other endangered species. Such action will also support
the sustainable utilisation of resources.

Building on the existing international framework for action
6.

“The Future We Want”, adopted at Rio+20 and endorsed by consensus of the UN
General Assembly, “recognised the economic, social and environmental impacts of
illicit trafficking in wildlife, where firm and strengthened action needs to be taken on
both the supply and demand sides” and also recognised the “important role of CITES,
an intergovernmental agreement that stands at the intersection between trade, the
environment and development”.

7.

We welcome the attention being given to this issue through the United Nations
system, including in the Security Council and the General Assembly, which
demonstrates the wider security, economic, social and development implications of
the illegal wildlife trade; and further welcome the UN General Assembly decision to
proclaim 3 March as World Wildlife Day reaffirming 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.

8.

We welcome the actions taken under the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and in particular the Decisions
relating to elephants, rhinoceroses and big cats adopted at previous meetings of the
Conferences of the Parties. We recommit ourselves to the full and effective
implementation of relevant CITES Resolutions and Decisions and to making further
efforts to eradicate the illegal wildlife trade within the CITES framework.

9.

We welcome the important action already being taken by Governments and others
at local, national, regional and global level. Commitments to combat the illegal
wildlife trade in particular species have been made in a number of other meetings,
and we stress the urgent need for their full implementation. We note the particular
importance of: The African Elephant Action Plan and the urgent measures endorsed
at the African Elephant Summit in Gaborone; The St Petersburg Tiger Declaration on
Tiger Conservation; the Global Tiger Recovery Programme and the Thimpu Nine
Point Action Agenda; The Bishkek Declaration on the Conservation of the Snow
Leopard and, those listed in Annex A.

10.

The illegal wildlife trade has many inter-related dimensions, and can only be
effectively tackled with the involvement of Ministries and agencies beyond the

wildlife conservation sector. Action needs to be taken at all points in the illegal
supply chain in source, transit and destination countries. International co-operation
is essential, with full engagement by Governments in relevant bilateral, regional and
international mechanisms.
11.

Effective international co-operation demands the active participation of partners
that support Governments in different sectors, in particular: the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime; INTERPOL; the World Customs Organization; the World
Bank; and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (which together comprise the International Consortium on
Combatting Wildlife Crime); the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal
Justice; the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the UN
Convention against Corruption; the United Nations Environment Programme; the
United Nations Development Programme; the African Development Bank; the Asian
Development Bank; the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and
regional Wildlife Enforcement Networks. We recognise the efforts made and urge all
these entities, and all States who participate in them, to make the eradication of the
illegal wildlife trade a priority.

12.

We recognise the importance of engaging communities living with wildlife as active
partners in conservation, by reducing human-wildlife conflict and supporting
community efforts to advance their rights and capacity to manage and benefit from
wildlife and their habitats.

13.

We recognise the important role that non-governmental organisations, academic
institutions and the private sector can play in actions against the illegal wildlife trade.

14.

To this end we, the Governments and Regional Economic Integration Organisations
represented in London, commit ourselves and call upon the international community
to providing the political leadership and practical support needed to take the
following essential actions.

ACTIONS
A.
15.

Eradicating the market for illegal wildlife products
The economic, social, and environmental impacts of the illegal wildlife trade can only
be effectively tackled if we eradicate both the demand and supply sides for illegal
products wherever in the world this occurs. To this end, we commit ourselves and
call upon the international community to take the following action, to:

I.

Support, and where appropriate undertake, effectively targeted actions to
eradicate demand and supply for illegal wildlife products, including but not limited
to, raising awareness and changing behaviour. Government support is important to
ensure demand and supply side reduction efforts are implemented on the scale and
in the time-frame needed to have a meaningful impact. Governments should work
in partnership with relevant stakeholders, including civil society, sectoral experts and
key influencers, including business. Actions should be scientific and clearly evidence
based, building on research into users’ values and behaviour, and form part of
coherent demand and supply side reduction strategies.

II.

Endorse the action of Governments which have destroyed seized wildlife products
being traded illegally; and encourage those Governments that have stockpiles of
illegal products, particularly of high value items such as rhino horn or elephant ivory,
to destroy them and to carry out policy research on measures which will benefit
conservation. Independent audits, or other means of ensuring transparent
management, should be carried out prior to destruction.

III.

Renounce, as part of any Government procurement or related activity, the use of
products from species threatened with extinction, except for the purposes of bona
fide scientific research, law enforcement, public education and other noncommercial purposes in line with national approaches and legislation.

IV.

Take measures to ensure that the private sector acts responsibly, to source legally
any wildlife products used within their sectors; and urge the private sector to
adopt zero tolerance policies on corporate gifting or accepting of species
threatened with extinction or products made from them.

V.

Recognising the authority of the CITES Conference of the Parties, support the
existing provisions of CITES prohibiting commercial international trade in elephant
ivory until the CITES Conference of the Parties determines, informed by scientific
analysis, that the survival of elephants in the wild is no longer threatened by
poaching.

VI.

Welcome the action already underway and urge those Governments that allow
trade in legally acquired endangered wildlife products to implement measures,
including labelling and wider traceability measures, to ensure that this trade does
not allow any illegal wildlife products to enter these markets.

VII.

Minimise speculation in endangered wildlife products by opposing the use of
misleading, exaggerated or inaccurate information, where this could stimulate
poaching, trafficking or demand.

B.
16.

Ensuring Effective Legal Frameworks and Deterrents.
To curb the illegal wildlife trade it is important to ensure that the criminals involved,
in particular those ‘kingpins’ who control the trade, are prosecuted and penalised to
provide an effective deterrent. To this end, we commit ourselves, and call upon the
international community, to take the following action, to:

VIII.

Address the problem of the illegal wildlife trade by adopting or amending
legislation, as necessary, to criminalise poaching and wildlife trafficking, and
related crimes including by ensuring such criminal offences are “serious crimes”
within the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, as called for in
Resolution 2013/40 of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and by
making maximum use of the UNTOC to facilitate international cooperation in
appropriate cases. For criminal offences relating to poaching and illicit trafficking,
the UNTOC is a valuable tool that can serve as the basis of international cooperation,
including extradition and mutual legal assistance, where the offense is transnational
in nature, involves an organised criminal group, and is punishable by a maximum
deprivation of liberty of at least four years . We urge all States to become parties to,
and implement, the UN Conventions against Transnational Organized Crime, and
ensure that their domestic offences involving wildlife trafficking fall within the
definition of “serious crime” in Article 2 of the Convention.

IX.

Address the serious problem of corruption and money-laundering facilitating
wildlife trafficking and related offences by adopting or amending legislation, as
necessary, criminalising corruption and bribery facilitating poaching, wildlife
trafficking, and related offences, and to institute measures to establish and promote
effective practices aimed at the prevention of corruption and detection of moneylaundering, particularly in cases involving wildlife trafficking. We urge all
governments to become parties to, and implement, the UN Convention against
Corruption, which can be a valuable tool to prevent corruption and foster
international cooperation in corruption cases, including extradition, mutual legal
assistance and asset recovery.

X.

Strengthen the legal framework and facilitate law enforcement to combat the
illegal wildlife trade and assist prosecution and the imposition of penalties that are
an effective deterrent. As part of this, support the use of the full range of existing
legislation and law enforcement deployed against other forms of organised crime.
This should include, but not be limited to, the enforcement of legislation on money
laundering, tax offences and asset recovery, corruption and illicit trafficking in other
commodities such as narcotic drugs and firearms. Effective multidisciplinary
enforcement should be used to ensure effective investigations and prosecutions, and
to secure sentences that act as an effective deterrent.

XI.

Strengthen the ability to achieve successful prosecutions and deterrent sanctions
by raising awareness in the judicial sector about the seriousness, impact and
potential profits of wildlife crime. Dedicated training and increased capacity building
are essential tools to achieve this goal.

XII.

Adopt a zero tolerance policy on corruption associated with the illegal wildlife
trade, recognising with great concern that corruption is an important factor
facilitating the criminal activities associated with the illegal wildlife trade.

C.
17.

Strengthening law enforcement
Successfully tackling the illegal wildlife trade demands a strong and co-ordinated
enforcement response, at the site, national and international levels, and in source,
transit and destination countries, using the fullest capacity of institutions and
available tools and techniques. To this end, we commit ourselves and call upon the
international community to take the following action to:

XIII.

Invest in capacity building to strengthen law enforcement to protect key
populations of species threatened by poaching. Effective law enforcement requires
an increase in the number of well-equipped and well-trained law enforcement
officers at key sites, using appropriate tools and techniques.

XIV.

Establish and maintain national cross-agency mechanisms to develop, resource and
implement co-ordinated national and local action plans and strategies, and oversee
the implementation of actions against wildlife crime; to strengthen enforcement
systems for a stronger preventive and reactive response to wildlife crime by, inter
alia, using the ICCWC Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit.

XV.

Provide the necessary conditions for, and further support, including through
international co-operation to share expertise, the use of the full range of
investigative techniques and tools already deployed against other forms of

domestic and transnational organised crime. This should include, but is not limited
to: criminal intelligence; controlled deliveries; traceability systems; risk profiling
detector dog’s; ballistic analysis and the use of existing forensic technology, including
the further development of such technologies.
XVI.

Strengthen cross-border and regional co-operation, through better co-ordination,
and through full support for regional wildlife law enforcement networks. This
should include the sharing of operational intelligence and information, sharing
information on forensic research and collaborating with relevant forensic research
institutions, collaboration on enforcement activity (such as joint operations) and
joint capacity building initiatives (such as training activities, trans-border
communication equipment and sharing of enforcement expertise and resources).

D.
18.

Sustainable livelihoods and economic development
The illegal wildlife trade is a major barrier to sustainable, inclusive and balanced
economic development. It contributes to damage to ecosystems, undermines good
governance and the rule of law, threatens security, and reduces the revenue earned
from economic activities such as wildlife-based tourism and the sustainable
utilisation and legal trade of wildlife, which can make a significant contribution to
local livelihoods and national economic development. Recognising that sustainable
livelihoods will be best achieved with the engagement of those communities
surrounding protected areas, we commit ourselves and call upon the international
community to take action, to:

XVII.

Recognise the negative impact of illegal wildlife trade on sustainable livelihoods
and economic development. This impact needs to be better understood and
quantified and should form part of the assessment set out in Action XXIV.

XVIII. Increase capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood
opportunities and eradicate poverty. This includes promoting innovative
partnerships for conserving wildlife through shared management responsibilities
such as community conservancies, public-private partnerships, sustainable tourism,
revenue-sharing agreements and other income sources such as sustainable
agriculture. Governments should integrate measures to address illegal wildlife trade
into development policy and planning, and the programming of development
cooperation activities.
XIX.

Initiate or strengthen collaborative partnerships among local, regional, national
and international development and conservation agencies to enhance support for
community led wildlife conservation and to promote retention of benefits by local

communities for the conservation and sustainable management of wildlife, including
actions to reduce illegal use of fauna and flora.
XX.

Work with, and include local communities in, establishing monitoring and law
enforcement networks in areas surrounding wildlife.

E.
19.

The Way Forward
Successfully tackling the illegal wildlife trade and its impacts will need concerted
political leadership, community engagement and international cooperation over a
sustained period. To support these efforts further research is needed into the scale
of the environmental, political, social and economic implications of the trade, as well
as an improved understanding of the illegal trade itself and the impact of measures
taken to prevent and combat it. To this end, we:

XXI.

Welcome the resources provided to date to support action to prevent and combat
the illegal wildlife trade, including implementation of existing action plans and
declarations. Urge all donors to provide resources, support and technical
assistance, as appropriate, for the implementation of the political commitments
contained in this Declaration.

XXII.

Recognise and appreciate the ongoing support provided by the Global Environment
Facility (GEF) to address the poaching crisis in Africa and the associated illegal
wildlife trade and would welcome the prioritisation of the issue in the GEF-6 (20142018) biodiversity strategy.

XXIII. Welcome the establishment within the UN of the ‘Group of Friends’ against illegal
wildlife trafficking and take note of the suggestion made at the High Level Event on
Illicit Wildlife Trafficking hosted by Germany and Gabon in New York in September
2013, to establish a Special Representative to the Secretary General to further the
fight against illicit wildlife trafficking, and for this to be requested by the UN General
Assembly in a formal resolution (ref doc A/68/553).
XXIV. Will undertake further assessment, initially over the next twelve months, building
on existing assessments and collaborative work, of the markets and dynamics of
the illegal wildlife trade, and the progress made in combatting it. This should
address the links between wildlife crime and other organised crime and corruption,
explore links to terrorism, and investigate the underlying causes and implications of
trade, including on regional stability and security, the environment, socio-economic
development, and on international relations. It should report on progress on actions
and political commitments to tackle the illegal wildlife trade, building on existing

assessments and working collaboratively with other organisations already engaged
on this issue.
XXV. Welcome the offer of Botswana to host another high-level conference to review
progress in early 2015.

Annex A
•

The Paris round table and declaration against poaching and illegal trade of threatened species,
December 2013

•

The African Elephant Summit, Gaborone, December 2013

•

The Bishkek Declaration on the Conservation of the Snow Leopard, October 2013

•

APEC Bali Declaration, October 2013

•

1st Asian Rhino Range States Meeting, and the Bandar Lampung Declaration, October 2013

•

UN General Assembly high level side event hosted by Gabon and Germany on Poaching and
Illicit Wildlife Trafficking, September 2013

•

Kunming Consensus on Transboundary Conservation and Combatting Illegal Wildlife Trade,
July 2013

•

G8 Leaders Communiqué, June 2013

•

The African Development Bank’s Marrakech Declaration, May 2013

•

Sumatran Rhino Crisis Summit, April 2013

•

Crime Commission 2013

•

Yaoundé Declaration on the Fight against Poaching in Central African States, March 2013

•

2nd Asian Ministerial Meeting on Tiger Conservation, and the Thimpu Nine Point Action
Agenda October 2012

•

APEC Vladivostok Declaration, October 2012

•

The St Petersburg Tiger Declaration on Tiger Conservation, November 2010

•

The African Elephant Action Plan, March 2010