Messages for World Wildlife Day

Ivonne Higuero

Secretary-General, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
CITES Secretary-General Ivonne Higuero

Around the world, medicinal and aromatic plants are woven into the daily lives of billions of people.  

They flavour our foods, anchor our healing traditions, support our well‑being, and sustain livelihoods in rural and Indigenous communities.  

On...

Read more

Francine Pickup

Deputy Assistant Administrator, UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)
Francine Pickup, UNDP

Today, we celebrate World Wildlife Day and shine a spotlight on the remarkable theme of ‘Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods’.

Preserving these unique plants means safeguarding the traditions, knowledge, and...

Read more

Rolph Payet

Executive Secretary, BRS Conventions (Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions)
Rolph Payet, BRS Conventions ES

For thousands of years, medicinal and aromatic plants have been among humanity’s greatest allies. They have healed our bodies, shaped our cultures, and sustained the livelihoods of communities whose knowledge and traditions carry wisdom. Today, these...

Read more

Musonda Mumba

Secretary General, Convention on Wetlands
Dr Mumba, Convention on Wetlands

When we look at a wetland, a marsh, a peatland, or a mangrove, we often see water, birds, and vast landscapes. But today, on World Wildlife Day, I invite you to look closer. I invite you to see a pharmacy.

This year’s theme, 'Medicinal and Aromatic...

Read more

Lazare Eloundou Assomo

Director of World Heritage, UNESCO World Heritage Convention
WHC Director Lazare Eloundou Assomo

Dear colleagues and friends, our health is deeply connected to nature, from the plants we rely on for medicine to the ecosystems that sustain life.

Protecting biodiversity is also about protecting human well‑being.

On 3rd March, we celebrate World...

Read more

Grethel Aguilar

Director General, IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources)
IUCN Director General Grethel Aguilar

On March third, we celebrate World Wildlife Day 2026 under the theme “Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods.”

Medicinal and aromatic plants are essential to human wellbeing, supporting global health, sustaining...

Read more

Azzedine Downes

CEO and President, ifaw (International Fund for Animal Welfare)
Azzedine Downes_ifaw

Hello, dear colleagues and friends, 

I’m Azzedine Downes, CEO and President of IFAW --- the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

We’re thrilled to once again partner with the CITES Secretariat and UN Development Programme to connect art and wildlife...

Read more

Richard Scobey

Executive Director, TRAFFIC
Richard Scobey, TRAFFIC Executive Director

This World Wildlife Day focusses on a group of wild species essential for human health and ecological balance, yet often overlooked: medicinal and aromatic plants.  

These plants grow in the wild and are harvested for their healing and wellbeing...

Read more

Carlos Drews

Biodiversity Lead, WWF (World Wildlife Fund)
Carlos Drews, WWF Biodiversity Lead (2026)

On World Wildlife Day, I like to talk about medicinal and aromatic plants, a gift of nature that has been humanity’s first pharmacy for thousands of years.

Medicinal and aromatic plants have healed people and supported cultures long before modern...

Read more