World Wildlife Day

World Wildlife Day

Part of: Prelims and GS-III-Environment

In news–

• The day is being celebrated on the 3rd of March every year to create awareness about the importance of protecting wildlife.
• In December 2013, UN General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 3 March – the day of signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973 – as UN World Wildlife Day.
• The UNGA resolution also designated the CITES Secretariat as the facilitator for the global observance of this special day for wildlife on the UN calendar. 

About CITES

• It came into force in July 1975 and currently has 183 signatories
• Aim: Ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
• The CITES Secretariat is administered by UNEP and is located at Geneva, Switzerland.
• Although CITES is legally binding on the Parties, it does not take the place of national laws.
• Rather, it provides a framework to be respected by each Party, which has to adopt its own domestic legislation to ensure that CITES is implemented at the national level.
• The International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), a consortium of the CITES Secretariat, INTERPOL, UN Office on Drugs and Crime,  World Bank and the World Customs Organization has been established to tackle illegal wildlife trade.