The United Nations Environment Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 1/3 on illegal trade in wildlife,

Welcoming the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of resolution 69/314 on tackling illicit trafficking in wildlife,

Emphasizing the need to implement the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the General Assembly to transform our world,

Recognizing the important role of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora as the primary mechanism for regulating international trade in species of wild fauna and flora listed in its appendices and the work of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime in supporting interventions to address illegal trade and trafficking in wildlife,

Also recognizing that cooperation at the bilateral, regional and international levels is an essential tool to prevent, combat and eradicate illegal trade and trafficking in wildlife and wildlife products, including through the use of relevant international legal instruments and resolutions of multilateral bodies,

Fully aware of the adverse environmental, economic and social dimensions of illegal trade in wildlife and its products, as well as its impacts on undermining progress towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,

Acknowledging that illegal trade and trafficking in wildlife can have negative impacts on public health,

Recognizing the important role that the conservation and sustainable use of wildlife can play in the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in addressing illegal trade and trafficking in wildlife, inter alia, through the development of sustainable and alternative livelihoods for communities affected by illegal trade in wildlife and its adverse impacts;

Noting with concern that illegal trade and trafficking in wildlife and its products and other forms of crime that have a significant impact on the environment are increasingly committed by transnational organized criminal groups,

Taking note of the adoption of the African Common Strategy on Combating Illegal Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora, the European Union Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking, and other relevant commitments to date by Member States to address the growing challenges of illegal trade in wildlife,

Welcoming the efforts by the United Nations system under the guidance of the Secretary General in enhancing its collaborative and coherent response to illegal trade in wildlife and its products, fulfilling the request to further improve the coordination of activities undertaken,

Also welcoming the report of the Executive Director on the environmental impact of illegal trade in wildlife and its products and the Wildlife Crime Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,

Deeply concerned that illegal trade in wildlife and its products continues to take place, affecting a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic fauna and flora across all continents, despite global efforts to address this problem,

1. Stresses its commitment to implement fully and without delay the commitments undertaken in Environment Assembly resolution 1/3 and General Assembly resolution 69/314;

2. Urges member States to take further decisive steps and actions at the national level and through regional and international cooperation, including with the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime and other partners, to prevent, combat and eradicate the supply, transit and demand related to illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products, including by:

(a) Developing, adopting, and implementing appropriate strategies and action plans addressing illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products at the national and regional levels adapted to specific challenges and contexts;

(b) Strengthening their wildlife trade governance systems, including strengthening institutions, and cooperation across relevant government ministries and agencies, and stepping up anti-corruption and anti-money-laundering efforts as they relate to the illegal trade and trafficking in wildlife and wildlife products;

(c) Providing support to the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime and the African Elephant Fund, for the implementation of the African Elephant Action Plan, as well as international, regional (such as the Action Plan of the African Common Strategy on Combatting Illegal Trade in Wild Flora and Fauna), national and local initiatives that aim to support the implementation of related action plans to combat illegal trade in and trafficking of wild fauna and flora and their products;

(d) Supporting the development of sustainable and alternative livelihoods for communities affected by illegal trade in wildlife and its adverse impacts with the full engagement of the communities in and adjacent to wildlife habitats as active partners in conservation and sustainable use, enhancing communities’ rights and capacity to manage and benefit from wildlife;

3. Calls upon Member States to make illicit trafficking in protected species of wild fauna and flora involving organized criminal groups a serious crime, in accordance with their national legislation and article 2 (b) of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime;

4. Recognizes the important role that non-governmental organizations, academic institutions and the private sector can play in action against the illegal trade and trafficking in wildlife;

5. Requests the Executive Director to continue to collaborate with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and other partners of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime and relevant United Nations entities to support Member States in implementing their commitments, including by:

(a) Advancing knowledge to underpin informed actions, including through the continuation of the assessment of the environmental impacts of illegal trade and trafficking in wildlife and its products;

(b) Supporting efforts to raise awareness and promote behavioural change in consumer markets for illegally traded wildlife and its products, including flora and fauna;

(c) Providing regular updates to the United Nations Environment Assembly of the report mandated under resolution 1/3 on illegal trade in wildlife;

(d) Continuing to support the activities of the African Elephant Action Plan by mobilizing more contributions to the African Elephant Fund and raising awareness of the role of the Fund in the implementation of the African Elephant Action Plan;

(e) Facilitating in collaboration with other relevant organizations, such as the United Nations Development Programme, for consideration by the United Nations Environment Assembly, an analysis of best practices, internationally, in local community involvement in wildlife management as an approach to address the unsustainable use and illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products;

6. Also requests the Executive Director to support national governments, upon their request, to facilitate the development and implementation of national legislation related to illegal trade and trafficking in wildlife, including through capacity building in inter alia prosecutorial investigations;

7. Further requests the Executive Director, within the mandate of the United Nations Environment Programme, to work with other relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental international organizations to identify and compile the current status of knowledge on crimes that have serious impacts on environment including illegal trade and trafficking in wildlife and its products, in particular, in terms of their environmental impacts, and identify interlinkages between these crimes and to report thereon to the United Nations Environment Assembly at its next session;

8. Requests the Executive Director to report on progress at the third session of the Environment Assembly.