General Assembly Official Records Sixty-Ninth Session
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
United Nations A/69/ PV.100 General Assembly Official Records Sixty-ninth session 100th plenary meeting Thursday, 30 July 2015, 10 a.m. New York President: Mr. Kutesa (Uganda) In the absence of the President, Mr. Antoine “It is essential to take decisive steps at the (Grenada), Vice-President, took the Chair. national level to prevent, combat and eradicate the illegal trade in wildlife, on both the supply The meeting was called to order at 10.15 a.m. and demand sides, including by strengthening the legislation necessary for preventing, investigating Agenda item 13 (continued) and prosecuting such illegal trade. We also need to further strengthen regional and international Integrated and coordinated implementation cooperation to effectively deal with that challenge. of and follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits in the “Illegal wildlife trafficking not only threatens economic, social and related fields species and ecosystems, it affects the livelihoods of local communities and diminishes tourism Draft resolution (A/69/L.80) attractions. It compromises efforts to eradicate The Acting President: Members will recall that poverty and achieve sustainable development. the Assembly held a debate on agenda item 13 and its Given the role of organized criminal networks, sub-item (a) jointly with agenda item 115 at its 51st armed groups and even terrorist groups in illegal plenary meeting, on 14 November 2014. Members will wildlife trafficking, this scourge also carries with also recall that under agenda item 13, the Assembly it serious security implications for many countries adopted resolution 69/288 at its 81st plenary meeting, and regions. The adoption of today’s draft resolution on 5 March 2015. and its effective implementation will be crucial to our collective efforts to combat illicit trafficking in I have the honour to make the following statement wildlife worldwide.” on behalf of His Excellency Sam Kutesa, President of the General Assembly: I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet, Minister for Foreign “I would like to commend the delegations of Affairs, Francophonie and Regional Integration of Gabon and Germany and the many sponsors of draft Gabon, to introduce draft resolution A/69/L.80. resolution A/69/L.80 for this important initiative and step forward in addressing the serious implications Mr. Issoze-Ngondet (Gabon) (spoke in French): At of illicit trafficking in wildlife. The draft resolution the outset, I would like to say how glad I am to be in calls for effective measures to prevent and counter the General Assembly today for this plenary meeting, the serious problem of crimes that have an impact and especially since the subject of draft resolution on the environment, particularly illicit trafficking A/69/L.80, under consideration today, combating the in wildlife and wildlife products. poaching and illicit trafficking of wild fauna and flora, This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the translation of speeches delivered in other languages. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room U-0506 ([email protected]). Corrected records will be reissued electronically on the Official Document System of the United Nations (http://documents.un.org). 15-23794 (E) *1523794* A/69/PV.100 30/07/2015 is one of my country’s top priorities. I would therefore Trafficking is a health risk. In fact, the clandestine like to convey to the President, on behalf of Mr. Ali nature of poaching increases the risk of the spread of Bongo Ondimba, the President and Head of State of illnesses. Many species cross borders and thereby avoid the Republic of Gabon, our thanks for organizing this the monitoring of health-care services. According to important meeting. I am deeply grateful to Germany, in studies by the World Wildlife Fund, such trafficking its capacity as co-author of the draft resolution, as well represents at least one quarter of all animals sold as to the group of friends who have worked tirelessly worldwide. For its part, the World Health Organization throughout the negotiations. And of course my thanks estimates that nearly 75 per cent of emerging diseases also go to all delegations for the constant support they are transmitted to humans by wild animals. have shown during the process. Trafficking hinders the economic development It was in 2013, here at the United Nations, that we of our countries. Poachers and other traffickers launched this initiative against the poaching and illicit disrupt the stability of businesses in remote areas. trafficking in wildlife. On that occasion, addressing The instability caused by the regular attacks by these himself to the entire world, President Ali Bongo traffickers is likely to deter investment and undermines Ondimba drew attention to the extremely destructive the implementation of sustainable development effects of poaching and the importance of acting quickly programmes. The ecotourism industry is significantly and cooperatively in order to combat the problem. He affected, although it is obviously one of the most took care to point out that wildlife poaching is at once reliable sources of income and employment for local an environmental, economic and security threat. He populations. then proposed that the Secretary-General consider Illicit trafficking in wildlife is a source of appointing a special envoy to coordinate the various national and regional instability. As a manifestation of efforts required to fight this illicit trade. At that transnational organized crime, trafficking generates point it was already a very profitable enterprise and roaming armed groups that are well structured and often highly attractive activity whose dividends drive the better armed than regular armies. It has been noted in perpetrators to brave all the risks it carries. recent years that armed terrorist groups, operating in Take, for example, the situation of elephants, Africa in particular, are using poaching and illegal symbols of the ravages of poaching in Africa. In 2006, trafficking of wildlife to increase their incomes. Such their population consisted of about 550,000 individuals. trafficking generates illicit funds that allow the groups Today they are estimated at about 470,000 throughout to acquire the most sophisticated weapons. Their the African continent. Over the years, the devastation methods are inspired from drug traffickers, which has reached extreme proportions, with between 20,000 contributes to the proliferation of arms in Africa. and 30,000 elephants killed each year. Gabon, which In tackling illicit trafficking in wildlife, we have is home to more than half of the elephants in Africa’s no choice but to cooperate. No State can overcome forests, has also been heavily hit by this scourge. Since this phenomenon on its own. As with drug trafficking 2004, nearly 20,000 elephants have been killed in our and human trafficking, we are dealing with well- country’s national parks. Today the threat of poaching organized international criminal networks that are continues to grow. Illicit trafficking in wildlife is greedy for profit. A concerted effort on the part of the estimated at $19 billion a year and is the fourth-highest international community seems to me to be essential. type of illegal trafficking in the world. It damages the The countries of origin, transit and destination must environment, it represents a genuine health risk and it is work together. No lasting results can be achieved if this a drag on our economies. And, ultimately, it is a threat chain is not strong. In that chain, the countries that are to security, particularly in some regions of Africa. most concerned are not on one side, with those that are The impact of illicit wildlife trafficking on less concerned on the other. The glaring truth is that a the environment is well established. It contributes lack of involvement on the part of some will undermine significantly to ecological imbalances in our forests. the effectiveness of our approaches and thereby The pressure it places on fauna has undermined the contribute to the entrenchment and perpetuation of the ability of many species to survive. If we do not act now, phenomenon. Only with solidarity and cooperation can their extinction could become a strong probability. we be effective. That is the principle that has guided Gabon, Germany and the Group of Friends. 2/8 15-23794 30/07/2015 A/69/PV.100 The President of the Republic, Mr. Ali Bongo good governance. The draft resolution therefore calls Ondimba, has long been personally and continuously for proactive cooperation and more significant regional committed to calling on the international community coordination. It calls on the United Nations, especially whenever he has had the opportunity to do so. In its specialized agencies, to continue its support to Marrakesh in May 2013, alongside some of his African Member States, notably through capacity-building. peers, he stressed the need to raise such trafficking to It provides for the possibility for the Secretary- the level of a serious crime. In Paris in December 2013, General to appoint a special envoy mandated with he denounced the activities of poachers and highlighted mobilizing interest and significant support against this the link between poaching and national instability. In phenomenon. The Secretary-General is also invited to London in February 2014, he reiterated the importance present an annual report. I cannot thus but recommend of immediate and significant international action. In its adoption, being convinced that the draft resolution is Kasane in March 2015, he called for strengthening in form and in content a synthesis of the different views measures against the illegal trade in wildlife.