The 68th Session of the United Nations General assembly (UNGA) on the 20th December 2013, declared the 3rd March ( the day of the signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered species of wild Fauna and Flora ) As the day the world will commemorate UN World Wildlife Day (WWD).
The day is celebrated by all UN member states to raise awareness of the worlds animals and plants. World Wildlife Day has become the most significant annual event dedicated to wildlife.
CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) was designated as the facilitator for the global observance of WWD. Ivonne Higuero Secretary – General of CITES declared that this years commemorations will be celebrated under the theme “RECOVERING KEY SPECIES FOR ECO-SYSTEM RESTORATION”.
This years theme aims to draw attention to the conservation status of the most critically endangered spices of wild Fauna & Flora. All efforts In achieving this end should seek to achieve and keep in line with UN Sustainable goals.
– No Poverty
– Zero Hunger
– Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
– Climate actions
– Life below water
– Life on land
According to data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species,
– Over 8,400 species of wild fauna and flora are critically endangered,
– Close to 30,000 more are understood to be endangered or vulnerable.
Based on these estimates, it is suggested that over a million species are threatened with extinction.
We might wonder why this day is so important the truth is, the continued loss of species, habitats and ecosystems also threatens all life on Earth, including us. People everywhere rely on wildlife and biodiversity – based resources to meet all our needs, from food, to fuel, medicines, housing, and clothing. Millions of people also rely on nature as the source of their livelihoods and economic opportunities.
In 2022, World Wildlife Day will therefore drive the debate towards the imperative need to reverse the fate of the most critically endangered species, to support the restoration of their habitats and ecosystems and to promote their sustainable use by humanity.
World Wildlife Day 2022 Virtual Global Event: The 2022 celebration will be held online and streamed live HERE on 3 March 2022, 08:00 EST/14:00 CAT, and will seek to bring together representatives of UN member States, UN System organizations and multilateral environmental agreements, civil society, and the private sector for a series of discussions along the theme of “Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration”. The provisional agenda can be found on this link
