Statement by John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General
International Snow leopard and its ecosystem conservation forum
Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, 23-25 August 2017
(Delivered by Sofie H. Flensborg, CITES Legal Support Officer)
President Atambayev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Deputy Prime Minister, Abulyuziev, Chairman of the Forum Organizing Committee.
Distinguished delegates from across the 12 Range States of the snow leopard.
Friends and colleagues from intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and in particular the Forum co-organizers.
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Secretary-General's statements
World Ranger Day 2017
Message from CITES Secretary-General, John E. Scanlon
On World Ranger Day 2017, we join you to "stand with the park rangers of the world in their fight to protect wildlife"!
31 July 2017
World Ranger Day honours park rangers across the world who have been injured or lost their lives in the line of duty, and also celebrates the role rangers play in protecting our natural resources, including wild animals and plants.
Twenty-third meeting of the Plants Committee
Geneva (Switzerland), 22-27 July 2017
Opening Remarks
John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General
22 July 2017
Welcome to beautiful and humid Geneva!
This is the first time we have met in Geneva since 2011, with the Plants Committee having met in Dublin, Ireland, Veracruz, Mexico and Tbilisi, Georgia since that time.
We are most grateful to the Government of Switzerland for making this venue available to us, where we have another 5 days of meetings ahead of us for our joint meeting and this Committee. You missed out on the beautiful sunny weather when the Animals Committee started but you also missed the problems with the Wi-Fi!
Twenty-ninth meeting of the Animals Committee
Geneva (Switzerland), 18-22 July 2017
Opening Remarks
John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General
18 July 2017
Welcome to Geneva on this beautiful sunny day!
This is the first time we have met in Geneva since 2012, with a joint Animals and Plants Committee meeting being held in Dublin, Ireland, and meetings of this Committee being held in Veracruz, Mexico and Tel Aviv, Israel since that time.
World Economic Forum
Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2017
Dalian, China, 28 June
‘Stemming the Surge in Illegal Wildlife Trade’
John E. Scanlon, Secretary-General, CITES
(watch the recorded live speech online)
Wildlife-based tourism is growing rapidly worldwide as the number of tourists continues to grow and as we, as travellers, seek out new and more enriching personal experiences with local cultures and wildlife.
John Scanlon says bold action by countries like China are a major blow to elephant poachers and ivory smugglers, but the world needs to do more to tackle both supply and demand.
International media and the wildlife conservation community hailed China’s announcement last year that it would close down its domestic ivory market. Some described it as a game-changer and a huge blow to elephant poachers and smugglers of ivory.
‘Our Oceans, Our Future’
Statement by John Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General
CITES is globally associated with elephants, tigers and rhinos – but CITES also has a long history of regulating international trade in many marine species to help ensure their survival in the wild, including clams, corals, dolphins, marine turtles, sea horses, the queen conch and whales.
High Level Event on Illegal Wildlife Trade
German House, UN Plaza, New York
Statement by John E Scanlon, Secretary-General, CITES
6 June 2017
His Excellency, Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of Gabon
His Excellency, Günther Adler, State Secretary to the Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety
Ambassadors
Distinguished Guests
Friends and Colleagues
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‘I’m with nature’
Statement by John Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General
We share our planet with millions of species of wild animals and plants.
They keep us alive by providing us with fresh air, clean water and healthy soils, they are used every day to make medicine, food and furniture and they support cultural, recreational and tourism pursuits.
While wildlife keeps all of us alive, its future is squarely in our hands. We alone will determine the fate of the world’s wildlife and in doing so our own destiny.