President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya in his effort to protect the wildlife in his country has joined the rest of the conservationists and has asked the United Nations to set up measures to reduce global demand for illegal ivory. This is because Kenya and other African countries cannot successfully fight poaching as long as the external demand is still as high as it is today, so he said.
He added that the global demand is strong enough and the poachers are ruthless enough that it requires joint effort if the country’s security and heritage are to be preserved. He said so during his speech at the official opening of the United Nations Environmental Assembly in Nairobi, a forum set to discuss ways to curb poaching and illegal trade in wildlife.
The president also called for the development of organizations to help improve the lives of people living near national parks and in his own words he said “I trust that the prosperity and livelihoods of the communities living close to wildlife reserves will receive urgent attention globally.”
Meanwhile, there was an Interpol report that was released earlier at the meeting and its findings largely blame criminal groups in East and Central Africa for extensive poaching of elephants and rhinos in Africa. Just this year, Kenya has lost 97 elephants and 59 rhinos mostly in private conservancies.
The United Nations Environmental Programme said the more than 100 ministers attending the high-level meeting will recommend a coordinated global effort to reduce poaching. And that participants might consider the options of addressing illegal trade in wildlife during the next session of the UN General Assembly, for example through a resolution.
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