A healthy planet for migratory birds means a healthy plant for people, as they share the habitats on the Earth, the heads of two United Nations-backed environmental treaties said, marking World Migratory Bird Day.
Many African elephants continued to face serious threats to their survival in 2015 from the illegal trade in ivory and unacceptably high levels of poaching.
As African leaders soundly rejected “those who think our natural heritage can be sold for money,” senior UN officials expressed support for Kenyan-led efforts to end illegal wildlife trade.
The genetic diversity of livestock can play a vital role in feeding the world in the face of hotter weather and the other effects of climate change, yet many valuable breeds continue to be at risk, the FAO warned, calling for stronger global efforts to safeguard the existing gene pool.
With 14 million people facing hunger in southern Africa as the El Niño weather pattern exacerbates drought, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that it faces critical funding challenges.
Recognizing that wild animals and plants are an “irreplaceable part of the natural systems of the Earth,” the United Nations General Assembly today urged its Member States to take decisive steps to prevent, combat and eradicate the illegal trade in wildlife, “on both the supply and demand sides.”
