The Accountant Sep-Oct-2016

ENVIRONMENT
theme highlights the fight against the
illegal trade in wildlife, which erodes
precious biodiversity and threatens the
survival of elephants, rhinos and tigers,
as well as many other species. It also
undermines our economies, communities
and security. This year’s slogan “Go Wild
for Life” encourages you to spread the
word about wildlife crime and the damage
it does, and to challenge all those around
you to do what they can to prevent it.
World Environment Day (WED)
is observed every year on June 5 to
raise global awareness to take positive
environmental action to protect nature
and the planet Earth. It is run by the
United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) “World Environment Day”
(WED) is the United Nations’ most
important day for encouraging worldwide
awareness and action for the protection of
our environment. Since it began in 1974, it
has grown to become a global platform for
public outreach that is widely celebrated
in over 100 countries.” Wikipedia
“We have chosen this theme because
damage from this trade has become so
serious and so far reaching that urgent
action is needed to reverse it,” UNEP
Executive Director Achim Steiner said
in a video message on the occasion of the
Day, celebrated annually on 5 June.
The UN official underlined that the effects
“We have chosen this theme because
damage from this trade has become so
serious and so far reaching that urgent
action is needed to reverse it,”
of wildlife trade include the destruction
of natural capital in which many nations
could build healthy tourism industries; the
spread of corruption and the undermining
of the rule of law all around the world;
and the “fattening of purses” of the
international crime syndicates.
“This must stop and the time to take
action is long overdue,” he insisted, calling
on all individuals to use their “spheres of
influence” to help end the illegal trade in
wildlife by engaging in the “Go Wild for
Life” campaign.
With the aim of reducing the demand
for illegal wildlife products, the campaign
stresses that greed, fashion, ignorance,
indifference, investment, corruption,
pseudo medicinal use and cultural belief
should not be allowed to endanger any
species of animal or plant or tree.
It is giving special attention to eight
species in particular: orangutans, sea
turtles, pangolins, rosewoods, helmeted
hornbills, tigers, elephants and rhinos.
Noting that Angola is this year’s host
country for World Environment Day, Mr.
Steiner announced that the country is
making strong commitments to combat
wildlife crime by shutting down its
domestic ivory trade and taking action to
stop smuggling over its borders.
“We support the actions of countries like
Angola to join this fight,” he said. “We
must be united in this cause, we must
think globally, but also act locally and we
must have zero tolerance for poaching and
illegal trade in wildlife.”
In a similar message, Yury Fedotov,
Executive Director of the UN Office
on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)) said
criminal networks and poachers have
scant regard for biodiversity, or the terrible
impact their actions have on our fragile
environment and vulnerable communities.
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