A/RES/79/313 GA

United Nations A/RES/79/313 General Assembly Distr.: General 2 July 2025 25-10883 (E) *2510883* Seventy-ninth session Agenda item 13 Integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 30 June 2025 [without reference to a Main Committee (A/79/L.96)] 79/313. Tackling illicit trafficking in wildlife The General Assembly, Reaffirming its resolutions 69/314 of 30 July 2015, 70/301 of 9 September 2016, 71/326 of 11 September 2017, 73/343 of 16 September 2019, 75/311 of 23 July 2021 and 77/325 of 25 August 2023 on tackling illicit trafficking in wildlife, Reaffirming also its resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, by which it adopted a comprehensive, far-reaching and people-centred set of universal and transformative Sustainable Development Goals and targets, Reaffirming further the intrinsic value of biological diversity and its various contributions to sustainable development and human well-being, and recognizing that wild fauna and flora in their many beautiful and varied forms are an irreplaceable part of the natural systems of the Earth which must be protected for this generation and the generations to come, Seriously concerned about the rate of species extinctions, as indicated in the findings of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, and stressing the urgent need to address the unprecedented global decline in biodiversity, including by preventing the extinction of threatened species, to improve and sustain their conservation status and to restore and safeguard ecosystems that provide essential functions and services, including services related to water, health, livelihoods and well-being, Remaining concerned, therefore, about the increasing scale of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products and its adverse economic, social and environmental impacts, A/RES/79/313 Tackling illicit trafficking in wildlife 25-10883 2/12 Expressing serious concern over the detrimental levels of rhinoceros poaching, the high levels of killings of elephants in Africa and the high levels of illicit pangolin trafficking, as well as the illegal trade in other protected wildlife species, including but not limited to tortoises, marine and freshwater turtles, land and marine iguanas, other reptiles, sharks, seahorses, the European eel, ornamental fish, great apes, parrots, songbirds, raptors, the helmeted hornbill and big cats, including the snow leopard and the jaguar, and plants such as orchids and succulents, and trees such as the Brazil wood, which threaten those species with local extinction and, in some cases, with global extinction, Noting with concern that, in addition to long-established illicit markets, new illicit markets are constantly emerging and pushing other species into the endangered category, such as the Philippine forest turtle and the pancake tortoise, owing to the illegal pet trade, Recognizing that rapid and profound socioecological changes, among other factors, such as degradation and unsustainable use of ecosystems, loss of habitats, invasive alien species and poorly managed wildlife trade drive the risk of a large- scale species extinction and biodiversity loss, threaten the vital contributions that nature makes to people and their livelihoods and increase the likelihood of zoonotic diseases emerging and spreading among wildlife, livestock and other domestic animals, which consequently increases the risk of pathogens spreading from animals and humans, leading to zoonotic disease outbreaks, epidemics and, in extreme cases, pandemics, Recognizing also that illicit trafficking in live wild animals and bushmeat does not adhere to sanitary regulations and avoids quarantine controls on import, and can therefore increase the probability of novel infections among trafficked animals and represents an increased risk for transmitting zoonotic diseases, with the potential to negatively impact human and animal health, Determined to reduce the risks for future outbreaks of zoonotic diseases, which may lead to epidemics and, in extreme cases, pandemics and their devastating impact on human health and livelihoods, and recognizing that curbing illicit wildlife trafficking and conserving and restoring biodiversity and functioning ecosystems can contribute not only to reducing the risk of emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases, but also to reducing possible threats to human health and economic development, Recognizing that human, animal, plant and ecosystem health are interdependent, and therefore emphasizing that biodiversity and health linkages should be addressed holistically, recalling in this regard the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in decision 15/4 of 19 December 2022,1 as well as decision 15/29 of 19 December 2022 2 of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and resolutions 5/1 3 and 5/64 of 2 March 2022 of the United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme, Underlining the need to take measures to combat illicit trafficking in wildlife, especially timber, including illegal harvesting of timber and associated trade, which leads to the decimation of rare timber species, in particular of rosewood, agarwood, sandalwood and Brazil wood, and noting the high volume of rosewood imports derived from illegal sources and the need to prevent illegally harvested timber from being laundered along global supply chains, in line with national legislation, _______________ 1 See United Nations Environment Programme, document CBD/COP/15/17. 2 Ibid. 3 UNEP/EA.5/Res.1. 4 UNEP/EA.5/Res.6. Tackling illicit trafficking in wildlife A/RES/79/313 3/12 25-10883 including, where applicable, through traceability systems, financial investigations and enhanced national enforcement capacities, Recognizing that illicit trafficking in wildlife contributes to the extinction of many species and damage to ecosystems and rural livelihoods, including those based on ecotourism, undermines good governance and the rule of law and, in some cases, threatens national stability and requires enhanced transnational and regional cooperation and coordination in response, Recognizing also the importance of addressing the root causes of illicit wildlife trafficking as a complement to law enforcement efforts, including through, inter alia, demand reduction, sustainable livelihoods and poverty eradication, Emphasizing that the protection of wildlife must be part of a comprehensive approach to achieving poverty eradication, food security, sustainable development, including the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, economic growth, social well-being and sustainable livelihoods, Emphasizing also, in this regard, the need to develop context-specific solutions for the sustainable and resilient coexistence of humans and wildlife, both within and outside protected areas, with the aim of contributing to the improvement of livelihoods and to conservation efforts, as well as the need to effectively manage human-wildlife interactions to minimize human-wildlife conflict for coexistence, Recalling its resolution 61/295 of 13 September 2007, entitled “United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”, recognizing that respect for Indigenous traditional practices contributes to sustainable and equitable development and proper management of the environment, and recognizing also the essential engagement role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities to ensure a sustainable solution to addressing the illegal wildlife trade, Reaffirming its call for holistic and integrated approaches to sustainable development that will guide humanity to live in harmony with nature and lead to efforts to restore the health and integrity of the Earth’s ecosystem, which will contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals for the common future of present and coming generations, Seriously concerned at the increased use of online intermediaries, in countries of origin and destination of illicit trafficking in wildlife, including social media platforms and online marketplaces, including those on the dark web that facilitate and drive the trafficking in wildlife and wildlife products, highlighting the necessity for relevant private sector actors to proactively step up their compliance with regulatory requirements in the fight against trafficking in wildlife, and recognizing the need to develop and utilize relevant techniques to counter illicit wildlife trafficking online, recognizing in this regard the need for enhanced technical and digital capacity- building, in particular for developing countries, Concerned about the persistent use of forged or illegally issued permits and certificates or the fraudulent use of authentic permits and certificates in order to misuse domestic legal markets to mask trade in illegally obtained wildlife or wildlife products, or to launder such illegally obtained wildlife or wildlife products, and concerned also about the facilitating role of corruption in this regard, Recognizing the legal framework provided by and the important role of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 5 as the primary mechanism for regulating international trade in species of wild fauna _______________ 5 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 993, No. 14537. A/RES/79/313 Tackling illicit trafficking in wildlife 25-10883 2/12 and flora listed in its appendices, commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the entry into force of the Convention, and in this regard welcoming the relevant resolutions and decisions adopted at the meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, Recognizing also the importance of other multilateral environmental agreements, including the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, 6 the Convention on Biological Diversity, 7 the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage 8 and the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat, 9 Recalling Economic and Social Council resolution 2013/40 of 25 July 2013 on crime prevention and criminal justice responses to illicit trafficking in protected species of wild fauna and flora, in which the Council encouraged Member States to make illicit trafficking in protected species of wild fauna and flora involving organized criminal groups a serious crime, Noting that wildlife trafficking is a lucrative form of transnational organized crime and can be linked to other forms of transnational organized crime, and noting with concern the role that corruption can play in facilitating illicit trafficking in wildlife and wildlife products, Reaffirming that the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime10 and the United Nations Convention against Corruption11 constitute effective tools and an important part of the legal framework for international cooperation in fighting and preventing illicit trafficking in wildlife, Bearing in mind that the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and their diversion and other forms of transnational organized crime can be linked to illicit trafficking in wildlife, which may pose a serious threat to national and regional stability in some parts of Africa and other regions of the world, Recognizing the important work of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), a collaborative effort of the secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the World Bank and the World Customs Organization, by, inter alia, providing technical assistance to Member States, Recalling United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 2/14 of 27 May 2016 on the illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products, 12 Welcoming the efforts of and cooperation between Member States, intergovernmental organizations and non‑governmental organizations, as well as activities of United Nations agencies and other entities, aimed at preventing and fighting illicit trafficking in wildlife, and in this regard taking note of the Paris Declaration of 2013, the London Declaration of 2014, the Kasane Statement of 2015, the Brazzaville Declaration of 2015, the Hanoi Statement of 2016, the Bishkek Declaration of 2017, the London Declaration of 2018, the Lima Declaration of 2019, the Chiang Mai Statement of 2019, the Gandhinagar Declaration of 2020, and the _______________ 6 Ibid., vol. 1651, No. 28395. 7 Ibid., vol. 1760, No. 30619. 8 Ibid., vol. 1037, No. 15511. 9 Ibid., vol. 996, No. 14583. 10 Ibid., vol. 2225, No. 39574. 11 Ibid., vol. 2349, No. 42146. 12 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-first Session, Supplement No. 25 (A/71/25), annex. Tackling illicit trafficking in wildlife A/RES/79/313 5/12 25-10883 Samarkand Declaration of 2024 as the outcome of the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, as well as the Leaders Pledge for Nature of 2020, Welcoming also the adoption of the CITES Strategic Vision 2021–2030 at the eighteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, Welcoming further the convening of the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, as well as the Meetings of the Parties to the Protocols to the Convention, held in Cali, Colombia, from 21 October to 1 November 2024, under the theme “Peace with nature”, as well as of the resumed session of the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, held in Rome, Italy, from 25 to 27 February 2025, and taking note of their adopted decisions, looking forward to the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, to be held in Yerevan in 2026, and welcoming the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted at the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, and urging its early, inclusive and effective implementation, Recalling its resolution 75/271 of 16 April 2021, entitled “Nature knows no borders: transboundary cooperation – a key factor for biodiversity conservation, restoration and sustainable use”, Recalling also its resolution 68/205 of 20 December 2013, in which it proclaimed 3 March, the day of the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, as World Wildlife Day, and welcoming the international observance of the Day since 2014 in order to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora, Noting with appreciation the adoption by the Fourteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice of the Kyoto Declaration on Advancing Crime Prevention, Criminal Justice and the Rule of Law: Towards the Achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,13 in which Heads of State and Government, ministers and representatives of Member States expressed deep concern about the negative impact of crimes that affect the environment and endeavoured to adopt effective measures to prevent and combat crimes that affect the environment, and recalling resolution 8/12 of 20 December 2019, entitled “Preventing and combating corruption as it relates to crimes that have an impact on the environment”, of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, 14 as well as resolution 10/6 of 16 October 2020, entitled “Preventing and combating crimes that affect the environment falling within the scope of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime”, of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime,15 Welcoming resolution 12/4 of 18 October 2024, entitled “Enhancing measures to prevent and combat crimes that affect the environment falling within the scope of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime”, of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime,16 _______________ 13 Resolution 76/181, annex. 14 See CAC/COSP/2019/17, sect. I.B. 15 See CTOC/COP/2020/10, sect. I.A. 16 See CTOC/COP/2024/11, sect. I.A. A/RES/79/313 Tackling illicit trafficking in wildlife 25-10883 2/12 Recalling its resolution 76/185 of 16 December 2021, entitled “Preventing and combating crimes that affect the environment”, bearing in mind that the fight against illicit trafficking in wildlife can be part of the broader international effort to prevent and combat crimes that affect the environment, Reaffirming the role of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice as the principal policymaking body of the United Nations for crime prevention and criminal justice matters, welcoming the adoption of resolution 31/1 of 20 May 2022, entitled “Strengthening the international legal framework for international cooperation to prevent and combat illicit trafficking in wildlife”, by the Commission at its thirty-first session,17 and welcoming also the Commission’s report pursuant to resolution 31/1, containing the views of States on possible responses to address any gaps that may exist in the current international legal framework to prevent and combat illicit trafficking in wildlife, as well as their experiences, good practices and challenges in terms of preventing and combating illicit trafficking in wildlife, and their national legislation in this sphere, Welcoming the International Maritime Organization guidelines for the prevention and suppression of the smuggling of wildlife on ships engaged in international maritime traffic approved on 13 May 2022, Recalling its resolution 71/285 of 27 April 2017, by which it adopted the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030, Taking note of the World Wildlife Crime Report: Trafficking in Protected Species, prepared by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in 2024, 18 Taking note also of the report entitled “Strengthening legal frameworks for licit and illicit trade in wildlife and forest products: lessons from the natural resource management, trade regulation and criminal justice sectors”, issued by the United Nations Environment Programme on 23 January 2019, 1. Stresses its continued determination to implement fully and without delay the commitments undertaken in its resolutions 69/314, 70/301, 71/326, 73/343, 75/311 and 77/325; 2. Recognizes the economic, social and environmental impacts of illicit trafficking in wildlife, where firm and strengthened action needs to be taken on the supply, transit and demand sides, and re-emphasizes the importance, in this regard, of effective international cooperation among Member States, relevant multilateral environmental agreements and international organizations; 3. Urges Member States to reinforce their efforts and adopt effective measures, as necessary, including by using special investigative techniques, consistent with article 20 of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, to prevent, investigate, prosecute and punish crimes that affect the environment, such as illicit trafficking in wildlife and wildlife products, which encompasses poaching and illegal harvesting of timber, including fauna and flora as protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; 4. Invites Member States, relevant United Nations entities and other international organizations to strengthen partnerships and cooperation to promote a holistic approach to address health and environmental aspects of wildlife trade using holistic, all-hazards and One Health approaches, recognizing the interconnectedness _______________ 17 See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2022, Supplement No. 10 (E/2022/30), chap. I, sect. C. 18 United Nations publication, 2024. Tackling illicit trafficking in wildlife A/RES/79/313 7/12 25-10883 between the health of humans, animals, plants and their shared environment, including through collaboration among the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Organization for Animal Health and the United Nations Environment Programme, and taking note of the “One Planet, One Health, One Future” conferences held in Berlin in October 2019 and online in November 2020 and their outcomes; 5. Urges Member States to take decisive steps at the national level to prevent, combat and eradicate the illegal trade in wildlife and associated corruption, on the supply, transit and demand sides, including by strengthening their legislation and regulations necessary for the prevention, investigation, prosecution, and appropriate punishment of such illegal trade, as well as by strengthening enforcement and criminal justice responses, and to increase the exchange of information and knowledge among national authorities, where appropriate, through the secure communications channels of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), as well as among Member States and international crime authorities, in accordance with national legislation and international law, acknowledging that the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime can provide valuable technical assistance in this regard, including through supporting Member States in the implementation of the Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit, which is aimed at strengthening, where appropriate, the capacity of relevant law enforcement authorities and judiciaries in investigating, prosecuting and adjudicating wildlife-related offences; 6. Calls upon Member States to make illicit trafficking in protected species of wild fauna and flora a serious crime, in accordance with their national legislation and as defined in article 2 (b) of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, in order to ensure that, where the offence is transnational in nature and involves an organized criminal group, effective international cooperation can be afforded under the Convention to prevent and combat transnational organized crime; 7. Encourages Member States to further utilize article II, paragraph 3, of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora by listing in its appendix III protected species in their jurisdiction that may become threatened as a result of international trade, and urges Member States to provide assistance in controlling the trade in those species protected under the Convention, including those listed in appendix III; 8. Also encourages Member States to take appropriate measures to enforce the provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, including measures to penalize trade in, or possession of, such illegally traded specimens, or both and to report all seizures in the CITES annual illegal trade reports; 9. Calls upon Member States to review and amend national legislation, as necessary and appropriate, so that offences connected to the illegal trade in wildlife are treated as predicate offences, as defined in the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, for the purposes of domestic money-laundering offences and are actionable under domestic proceeds of crime legislation, and so that assets linked to illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products can be seized, confiscated and disposed of; 10. Encourages Member States to make use, to the greatest extent possible, of legal instruments available at the national level to protect threatened species of wildlife and tackle illicit trafficking in wildlife, including through legislation related to money-laundering, corruption, fraud, racketeering and financial crime; A/RES/79/313 Tackling illicit trafficking in wildlife 25-10883 2/12 11. Calls upon Member States to integrate as appropriate, the investigation of financial crimes linked to wildlife trafficking into wildlife crime investigations and increase the use of financial investigation techniques and public-private collaboration to identify criminals and their networks, and to enhance, where appropriate and in accordance with domestic law, the capacity of relevant agencies, including law enforcement and financial intelligence units, to carry out and support financial investigations into wildlife trafficking, including the possible laundering of the proceeds of such crimes, and requests the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to continue to provide technical assistance, as appropriate, to Member States in that regard; 12. Encourages Member States to harmonize their judicial, legal and administrative regulations to support the exchange of evidence regarding and criminal prosecution of illicit trafficking in wildlife, as well as to establish a national-level inter-agency task force on illicit trafficking in wildlife and facilitate the exchange of evidence between the different government agencies to the extent consistent with national legislation; 13. Also encourages Member States to enhance their enforcement efforts, including through recording and monitoring seizures, arrests, investigations and prosecutions, in order to more effectively counter and deter the illegal trade in wildlife; 14. Calls upon Member States to increase attention and intergovernmental cooperation, as well as to strengthen appropriate capacity for law enforcement agencies to monitor and investigate illegal online wildlife trade, collect and analyse relevant evidence, including by using digital forensics, and develop enforcement countermeasures, including, when relevant, by engaging in public-private collaboration and supply and demand reduction to establish strategies to prevent illegal trade; 15. Invites Member States to work in cooperation with relevant organizations to identify and promote the use of solutions that utilize technology, including artificial intelligence, in particular in regard to species identification, traceability and authentication for forensic science applications to support criminal prosecutions, as well as the analysis and visualization of data to monitor evolving crime trends and patterns; 16. Encourages Member States to strengthen the capacity and financial resources of their law enforcement agencies to investigate and counter illicit trafficking in wildlife conducted through online platforms, including social media, by enhancing digital intelligence capabilities and utilizing digital forensics, and invites Member States to provide specialized training and deploy tailored countermeasures to effectively detect, disrupt and dismantle online wildlife trafficking networks; 17. Also encourages Member States to strengthen the capacities of relevant personnel operating in airports, land border crossings and seaports, including through targeted training and the provision of adequate tools and resources, in order to improve their ability to detect, prevent and respond to trafficking in wild fauna and flora species, and to facilitate cooperation among transport operators, customs and border agencies, and environmental authorities; 18. Urges Member States to increase efforts and resources to raise awareness about and address the problems and risks associated with the supply and transit of and demand for illegal wildlife products, including by improving cooperation with all relevant stakeholders, engaging consumer groups and tackling the drivers of demand, and to more effectively reduce the demand, including by using targeted and evidence- based strategies in order to influence consumer behaviour, by leading behaviour Tackling illicit trafficking in wildlife A/RES/79/313 9/12 25-10883 change campaigns, and create greater awareness of laws prohibiting illegal trade in wildlife and associated penalties; 19. Calls upon Member States to recognize and support the crucial role played by rangers and guards, across the world, in the fight against illicit wildlife trafficking, in often very challenging conditions, to bolster and monitor ranger safety and activity in protected areas, to improve rangers’ working conditions and welfare and to provide them with decent wages, necessary training, equipment and institutional support; 20. Welcomes the convening of the tenth World Ranger Congress from 7 to 11 October 2024, hosted by France; 21. Encourages Member States to increase the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable and, as appropriate, alternative livelihood opportunities, including from their local wildlife resources, in order to reduce the risk of illicit trafficking in wildlife, and eradicate poverty, by promoting, inter alia, innovative partnerships for conserving wildlife through shared management responsibilities, including community conservancies, public-private partnerships, sustainable tourism, revenue-sharing agreements and other income sources, such as sustainable agriculture; 22. Strongly encourages Member States to enhance their support, including through international and regional cooperation, for the development of sustainable and, as appropriate, alternative livelihoods for communities affected by illicit trafficking in wildlife and its adverse impacts, in particular in countries of origin, with the full engagement of the communities in and adjacent to wildlife habitats as active partners in conservation and sustainable use, enhancing the rights and capacity of the members of such communities to manage and benefit from wildlife and wilderness; 23. Calls upon Member States to recognize the importance of research to understand the root causes of poaching, illegal harvesting of timber, and illegal trade in wildlife, including in marine species, as well as market drivers, including the risks of increased poaching due to financial losses, and the need to tailor research to the specific drivers of the illegal use of a species or product and to invest in tools, data analysis and funding to tackle demand for illegal wildlife products based on evidence and built on best practice; 24. Invites Member States to support the efforts of developing countries and countries with economies in transition to tackle illicit trafficking in wildlife, and in particular to adopt effective integrated policies against such trafficking, and to implement the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora by, inter alia, providing financial or technical assistance, supporting efforts to access funding through the Global Environment Facility and providing financial and in-kind resources for capacity-building activities required in this regard, including in the implementation of the resolutions and decisions adopted at the meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention; 25. Encourages Member States and relevant United Nations entities as well as other international organizations to increase support to countries for tackling poaching, illegal harvesting of timber and illegal trade in wildlife; 26. Encourages Member States to promote sustainable development in its three dimensions – economic, social and environmental – in a balanced, integrated manner, which requires a comprehensive, innovative, coordinated, inclusive and environmentally sustainable approach, especially to protect wild fauna and flora and to combat, with determination, the illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products; 27. Calls upon Member States to ensure the full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership of women in the development and implementation A/RES/79/313 Tackling illicit trafficking in wildlife 25-10883 2/12 of relevant policies and programmes addressing illicit wildlife trafficking, and further calls upon United Nations agencies to continue ensuring systematic gender mainstreaming into all policies and programmes of the United Nations system; 28. Encourages Member States to integrate measures to address illegal trade in wildlife into development policy and planning and the programming of development cooperation activities, and to further raise public awareness among individuals and communities to live sustainably in a world in which wildlife and other living species are protected; 29. Calls upon Member States to initiate or strengthen collaborative partnerships among local, regional, national and international development and conservation agencies so as to enhance support for community-led wildlife conservation and to promote the retention of benefits by local communities for the conservation and sustainable management of wildlife; 30. Strongly encourages Member States to participate in global, regional and national donor coordination to enhance communication and to avoid duplication of efforts as well as to increase knowledge-sharing efforts to enhance understanding and mobilization of bilateral, multilateral and private investments to prevent and combat illegal trade in wildlife in order to collectively maximize investment effectiveness and engage new partners to maximize the effectiveness of future interventions; 31. Urges Member States that have not yet done so to consider taking measures to ratify or accede to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the United Nations Convention against Corruption, and calls upon parties to take appropriate measures to ensure the effective implementation of their obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and other relevant multilateral agreements, including by applying the international guidelines adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the latter Convention for the storage, stockpiling and disposal of illicit wildlife products and contraband, as well as to consider ways to share information with one another on best practices to tackle illicit trafficking in wildlife in line with those instruments; 32. Calls upon Member States to prohibit, prevent and counter any form of corruption that facilitates illicit trafficking in wildlife and wildlife products, including by assessing and mitigating corruption risks in their technical assistance and capacity- building programmes related to wildlife, by strengthening their capacity to investigate and by prosecuting such corruption, calls upon Parties to implement all relevant resolutions and decisions adopted at the meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and requests the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to continue to support Member States in this regard, upon their request; 33. Also calls upon Member States to ensure that legal domestic markets for wildlife products are not used to mask the trade in illegal wildlife products, and in this regard urges parties to implement and systematically monitor nationally the implementation of the resolutions adopted at the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora recommending that all Governments close, as a matter of urgency, legal domestic ivory markets, as well as markets for commercial trade in tiger and other Asian big cat specimens, if these markets contribute to poaching or illegal trade; 34. Strongly encourages Member States, through their national competent authorities, to enforce all necessary sanitary monitoring, measures and controls to protect human or animal health, in accordance with their national context and Tackling illicit trafficking in wildlife A/RES/79/313 11/12 25-10883 priorities, international law, where applicable, and best practices, with regard to segments of markets selling dead and live wild animals and wildlife products, as well as to detect and combat illicit wildlife trafficking; 35. Encourages Member States to facilitate professional standards and mutual monitoring programmes on supply chain security for processing or otherwise using wildlife products to prevent the introduction of illegally sourced wildlife into legal trade chains, including through engagement with the private sector through information-sharing and enhanced networks; 36. Also encourages Member States to take measures making permit systems more resilient to corruption and to take advantage of modern information and communications technologies for improved control and traceability of international trade in protected species of wild fauna and flora in order to prevent the use of fraudulent documents in the international trade in protected species; 37. Recognizes the efforts of the Group of 20 in countering corruption at both the global and the national levels, takes note with appreciation of the work at its summits held in Hangzhou, China, in 2016, in Hamburg, Germany, in 2017, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2018, in Osaka, Japan, in 2019, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2020, in Rome, Italy, in 2021, in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, in 2022, in New Delhi, India, in 2023 and in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2024, as well as its development of High- level Principles on Combating Corruption related to Illegal Trade in Wildlife and Wildlife Products and of the survey in 2018 on their implementation, led by the Group of 20 with the help of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and urges the Group to continue to engage other States Members of the United Nations and the Office in its work in an inclusive and transparent manner; 38. Also recognizes the efforts of the African Union and of the expert group for the implementation of the African Strategy on Combating Illegal Exploitation and Illegal Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora in Africa to prevent and reduce, with a view to eliminating, the illegal exploitation of and illegal trade in wild fauna and flora in Africa in a common coordinated response; 39. Strongly encourages Member States, in line with Economic and Social Council resolution 2013/40, to cooperate at the bilateral, regional and international levels to prevent, combat and eradicate international illicit trafficking in wildlife and wildlife products through, inter alia, the use of international legal instruments such as the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the United Nations Convention against Corruption; 40. Invites parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime to more effectively use the Convention to address illicit trafficking in wildlife, and to continue discussions on other possible international tools to combat wildlife trafficking; 41. Encourages Member States, where relevant and appropriate, to enhance cooperation for the timely and cost-efficient repatriation of live illegally traded wildlife, including eggs, consistent with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and also, where relevant and appropriate, to enhance information-sharing among national and international authorities on the seizure of illegally traded wildlife and wildlife products in order to facilitate follow-up investigation and prosecution; 42. Calls upon United Nations organizations, within their respective mandates and in line with Economic and Social Council resolution 2013/40, to continue to support efforts by Member States to fight illicit trafficking in wildlife, such as through A/RES/79/313 Tackling illicit trafficking in wildlife 25-10883 2/12 capacity-building, and to improve cooperation with all relevant stakeholders in order to facilitate a holistic and comprehensive approach by the international community; 43. Requests, in this regard, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, within its mandate and resources, in line with Economic and Social Council resolution 2013/40 and in close cooperation and collaboration with Member States, to continue and to strengthen the collection of information on patterns and flows of illicit trafficking in wildlife and to report thereon biennially; 44. Requests the Secretary-General to further improve the coordination of activities undertaken by the specialized agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system relating to the scope of the present resolution, within their respective mandates and in line with Economic and Social Council resolution 2013/40; 45. Also requests the Secretary-General, taking into account Economic and Social Council resolution 2013/40, to report to the General Assembly at its eighty- first session on the global status of illicit trafficking in wildlife, including poaching and illegal trade, taking into account the trends regarding illicit wildlife trafficking, and on the implementation of the present resolution and to make proposals for possible future action; 46. Decides to revisit the issue and the implementation of the present resolution on a biennial basis, next at its eighty-first session. 81st plenary meeting 30 June 2025

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