Messages for World Wildlife Day

Inger Andersen

United Nations Environment Programme Executive Director
Inger_Andersen

Each year, seven trillion dollars are invested in activities that directly harm the nature and biodiversity upon which everyone depends.

We must stop biting the hand that feeds us.

Instead, we must back the Global Biodiversity Framework with real funds...

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Ivonne Higuero

CITES Secretary-General
CITES Secretary-General Ivonne Higuero

For World Wildlife Day 2025, we’re exploring Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet.  

Our planet’s magnificent biodiversity is priceless, but conserving it comes at a cost. Each year, hundreds of billions of dollars are needed...

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Achim Steiner

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator
UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

On behalf of the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, it is a privilege to join our close partner, CITES, to mark World Wildlife Day 2025.

It highlights the intrinsic link between protecting wildlife and securing our...

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Indira Gamatis

Seychelles Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, Focal Point for the Convention on Biological Diversity
Ms Indira Gamatis, Seychelles CBD Focal Point

Seychelles, is home to many endemic flora and fauna both on land and in the ocean, and considered as a biodiversity hotspot. However, many of our species are listed on the IUCN Red list, with some facing the risk of extinction. With the increasing...

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Jakob Eggenberger

Switzerland Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office, Head of Species Conservation and International Trade
Jakob Eggenberger, Head of CITES Management Authority of Switzerland

On World Wildlife Day, we celebrate the adoption of CITES. 2025 is a special year as we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the convention's entry into force in 1975.  

Switzerland, a member state of the first hour and the Depositary Government of...

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Musonda Mumba

Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands
Dr Musonda Mumba

This year, the celebration of World Wildlife Day holds even greater significance as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

As we celebrate this important milestone...

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Astrid Schomaker

Convention on Biological Diversity Executive Secretary
CBD ES Astrid Schomaker

Today is World Wildlife Day, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the entry into force of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora --CITES.

On behalf of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological...

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Amy Fraenkel

Executive Secretary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)
Amy Fraenkel, CMS

Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet

The Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) is the only global treaty of the United Nations focused on the conservation of migratory species and their habitats. Sufficient and...

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Lazare Eloundou Assomo

World Heritage Centre Director
WHC Director Lazare Eloundou Assomo

Today, World Wildlife Day is a powerful reminder of the urgent need to protect and conserve biodiversity. Around the globe, countless plant and animal species face unprecedented threats, with many on the brink of extinction. This includes some of the...

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Grethel Aguilar

International Union for Conservation of Nature Director General
IUCN Director General Grethel Aguilar

Today, on UN World Wildlife Day 2025, we come together to celebrate the incredible diversity of life on our planet—its beauty, resilience, and the essential role it plays in sustaining humanity.  

It is our responsibility to ensure the future of our...

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Axel van Trotsenburg

Senior Managing Director of World Bank Group
Axel van Trotsenburg, World Bank Senior Managing Director

At the World Bank Group, our mission is clear: to end poverty on a livable planet.  

Investing in nature is not just good for the environment, it is essential for the economy.  

As one of the largest multilateral financiers of nature, the World Bank...

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Eric Usher

UNEP FI (United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative) Head
Eric Usher, Head of UNEP FI

Hello. We congratulate the CITES convention today, on its 50th anniversary and its many successes over this half century of work, this year's theme, investing in people and planet, is a call to action for all of us to recognize that we cannot protect...

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Martín Zordan

Chief Executive Officer of World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA)
na

Today, on World Wildlife Day, we celebrate the critical role of conservation finance in protecting our planet's biodiversity. As progressive aquariums and zoos, we are uniquely positioned as major investors in wildlife conservation.  

Each year, WAZA...

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Talia Speaker

Interim Executive Manager of WILDLABS
wildlabs

WILDLABS is the global conservation technology network, connecting over 10,000 individuals worldwide who use and make technology like eDNA, bioacoustics, wildlife tracking devices, AI, and more for biodiversity monitoring and conservation. Built by a...

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