The Duke of Cambridge has spent the day in Gland, Switzerland, attending a United for Wildlife Taskforce talk, in a bid to end the illegal wildlife trade.
The talk was chaired by former Foreign Secretary, William Hague, with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The aim was to discuss how to tackle the global trafficking of animals, many of which are endangered or protected species.
The illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be worth $5-20 billion per year; it is the fourth most lucrative global crime after drugs, humans and arms.
The Duke today called for action, saying:
‘We are up against it. This isn’t an issue we have 10 or even five years to work on. We need results now,’ referring to staggering statistics like this one: 95% of the world’s rhinos have been lost in the last four decades.
The Duke created the charity from a consortium of seven wildlife NGOs through his work with The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, to help combat this global problem.
Last year, William, as president, garnered the support of celebrities such as Andy Murray, David Beckham and Lewis Hamilton in a bid to raise awareness of the problem; he also attended the London Summit on Illegal Wildlife Trade, with his father, The Prince of Wales and his brother, Prince Harry, both of whom are passionate about conservation.
William also thanked the transport industry for its work trying to break the trade, which is used by terrorist organisations to fund their weapons.
More news as it comes.
Photo: Foreign Office
