New York, Nov. 21, 2016 – The following statement was issued today by the Wildlife Conservation Society concerning the Hanoi Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade, hosted by the Government of Vietnam on Nov. 17 and 18.

Said Susan Lieberman, WCS Vice President of International Policy:

“Our Wildlife Conservation Society teams across the globe are fully committed to be working with governments to stop illegal wildlife trade--including stopping the poaching, stopping the trafficking, and stopping the demand. 

“We work to save wildlife in nearly 60 countries in Asia, Africa, South America, Europe, North America and in all the oceans of the world. The WCS team is pleased to have attended the Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade in Hanoi, as well as the London and Kasane conferences in 2014 and 2015 respectively. WCS appreciates the initiative of the Government of Vietnam in hosting the conference, and the support of the governments of the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States in enabling Vietnam to host the conference. 

“We appreciate the commitments made here by governments, particularly those that are new and strong. WCS urges all governments to fulfill these commitments, as well as those adopted last month at the meeting in Johannesburg of the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Conference of the Parties.

“We are particularly encouraged by the global momentum behind closing domestic elephant ivory markets. At the CITES meeting and at the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) World Conservation Congress in Hawaii in September, resolutions were adopting calling on countries to close their domestic elephant ivory markets. WCS strongly urges governments to fulfill their commitments made here in Hanoi as well as those in Johannesburg, to close any remaining domestic ivory markets as soon as possible—elephants cannot wait.

“It is encouraging to see governments coming together at a high level as here in Hanoi, to recommit themselves to taking urgent action to end illegal wildlife trade. However, there is no time to waste--this is the time for action, and not just words. For many species and in many countries, poaching and trafficking are continuing unabated—WCS strongly urges governments to take urgent action. Success will be measured not in numbers of statements and numbers of conferences, but in ending the scourge of wildlife trafficking, and in the recovery of wildlife populations. 

“WCS appreciates all of the governments that attended the Hanoi Conference, and encourages governments at the highest level, including in particular all Heads of State, to exert political will to tackle illegal wildlife trade.”