The Hague International Model United Nations Qatar ​2019​​ ​| 22​nd​ – 25​th​ of January 2019

Forum: Environmental Commission

Issue: Combating poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and

fauna by organized criminal groups*

Student Officer: Eyad Ali

Position: Head Chair

Introduction

In recent years, the world has witnessed an unparalleled increase in the poaching and trade of
extinct and protected species, threatening the efforts of millions of individuals as they aim to conserve
the biodiversity that exists on the earth. With the ever-increasing threat of poaching, some of the world’s
most unique species are in danger, some being elephants, rhinoceroses, birds, monkey, tigers, reptiles
and numerous indigenous plant species. The primary reason for this comes from criminal groups that are
determined to extract specific items such as horns and herbs in order to profit economically. According to
the United Nations Environment Program, the key force behind the black market trade is the increasing
demand for products that can arise from endangered flora and fauna. This increase has resulted in the
creation of a lucrative black market that distribute products such as religious remedies, medicines,
clothing, sport and even personal collection. Therefore, due to this the international community has yet to
see a clear solution to this issue.

When addressing this issue and the ways in which the conflict can be eradicated, two
perspectives need to be taken into account. Firstly, criminal groups and illegal poaching that exists within
them need to be stopped. Organized crime networks and groups have realized that there are massive
profits to be made, and as a result they have chosen to control this domain. One example is Feisal
Mohamed Ali and the criminal organizations that he facilitates. On June 6th, 2014, Kenyan police found
over 200 elephant tusks that the organization had been collecting for over 6 years. Therefore, many
officials and wildlife reserves experts argue that as a world we are failing because the international
community has allowed these criminal groups to make a major profit in low risk environments. Therefore,
National Geographic specialists say that the only way to stop these organized criminal groups is through
law enforcement.

Another lens this issue must be looked at is from the eyes of a consumer. As consumers, our
increasing demands for everyday items such as a variety of kinds of seafood, leather goods, timbers,
medicinal ingredients, and textiles have come from the illegal practices of these criminal groups.
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According to a study conducted by Isabella Vique, a member of Flora and Fauna International (FFI), “In
Nicaragua, turtles are widely exploited for their meat, eggs, and shell. Their meat and eggs are
traditionally consumed as food, with up to 100% of eggs poached from some nesting sites. Turtle shell is
highly valued as material for making jewelry and ornaments, and Nicaragua is reported to be the supplier
for most of the turtle shell products marketed throughout Central America.” This is one example of illegal
poaching in our real world, however, what is even more astonishing is the increased consumer demands
for these turtle necklaces. Therefore, if we are to stop individuals from illegally poaching, we need to
eradicate the core problem which is consumer demands. According to the experts from the FFI, “to build
effective strategies in order to influence the behaviour of a consumer, it is necessary to identify target
groups and understand their motivations and values, and how those influence their decision making.”
Only once we have targeted the necessary groups will consumer demands drop.

Definition of Key Terms

Poaching

The word poaching from an environmental perspective refers to the illegal trespassing or hunting
of a particular species without the permission of landowners or authority from government-protected
areas in order to gain from the animal or plant and benefit economically.

Trafficking

Trafficking in a general scale refers to the transportation or movement of individuals or objects

from one area to another. In this issue trafficking refers to the movements of poached plants and animals
(flora and fauna) in order to trade and exchange goods produced from those organisms.

Flora and Fauna

The terms flora and fauna refer to the indigenous plants and animals of a specific environment,
respectively.

Criminal Groups

Criminal groups are groups of individuals that oppose the laws enforced within a region and take
actions to undermine the central dogma and basis of the law. In our case, this refers to poaching animals
and plants even when the law states otherwise.

Endangered Species

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Endangered species are organisms that are at risk of becoming extinct due to natural reasons or
other factors such as excessive poaching and environmental stressors.

Eco-tourism

Eco-tourism is a form of tourism involving visiting natural locations, such as a safari. These
locations are regarded as exotic where an abundance of indigenous organisms and diverse wildlife can
be found.

Biological Management​​

Biological Management is the ability for the government, NGOs and the general public to maintain
and provide an environment where flora and fauna may flourish in their natural habitats.

Translocation

Translocation is referred to as the​ movement of a species of flora and fauna from one location to
another in order to help the species survive, initiate new settlements, and to reintegrate species into their
natural habitats.

Background Information

Legalities of Poaching

The definition of poaching has drastically changed over time and the laws for which poaching is
regulated differs from one nation to another. In most countries, poaching is forbidden due to the united
effort to conserve the species and organisms on Earth, however, as we have witnessed, criminal groups
are still poaching animals and plants. In the past, specifically in the Medieval Times, poaching was
deemed a serious crime punishable by imprisonment, but the enforcement was comparably weak until
the 16th century. This was mainly due to the fact that only nobility was allowed to profit economically
from poached animals and plants.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, restrictions on hunting and poaching rights became more specified
in terms of private property ownership. Individuals known as foresters or gamekeepers, “a person in
charge of a forest or skilled in planting, managing, or caring for trees and the animals within that area,”
enforced private property rights where citizens would not be allowed to hunt within their land (PAMS
Foundation). However, by the end of the 18th century, the industrialization and introduction of long-range
rifles and specified hunting techniques allowed hunters to poach without directly needing to enter private
property.

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In terms of modern-day poaching laws, many researchers, scientists, and wildlife conservationist
have deemed poaching and all other forms of its trafficking methods as an environmental crime. This is
because it infringes on the regulations and laws that have been set to protect vulnerable species and to
deter illegal poaching in all of its forms including its possession, transportation, consumption, purchasing,
and selling. Poaching plants and animals is one of the most serious threats to the survival of these
organisms and therefore, laws in the United States, United Kingdom, and most other MEDCs have
strictly been enforced to regulate the poaching by criminal groups within their respective regions.

Motives

Although it is widely known that the primary reason for poaching is for economic benefit, there are
many other proposed motives, some being for pleasure, sport, hunting, cultural purposes, or because
they do not agree with certain hunting regulations. In some rare cases such as indigenous populations in
the United States, hunting is not only used to preserve culture, heritage and traditions but also in order to
relieve the suffering from poverty that these populations may experience. In an interview conducted “with
41 poachers in the Atchafalaya River basin in Louisiana revealed that 37 of them hunt to provide food for
themselves and their families; 11 stated that poaching is part of their personal or cultural history; nine
earn money from the sale of poached game to support their families; eight feel exhilarated and thrilled by
outsmarting game wardens.” This portrays how most hunters use hunting as a method to provide for their
families rather than economic gain, however, this survey only reached out to 41 poachers in a somewhat
remote area, so the complete validity of the experiment must be taken into account as well.

In other areas around the world, the primary motive for poaching is the lack of employment
opportunities found within the nation. This is mostly found within regions of Africa where citizens may not
be completely educated about the laws in place or where the laws aren’t strictly enforced. These are two
core factors when looking to solve the issue.

In addition, indigenous populations in Africa are heavily reliant on natural resources in order to
thrive economically. This is because most individuals make a profit by selling regionally-based products
to foreign consumers, and since agricultural activity within these hunting hotspots is relatively low, people
often rely on hunting as their best option. Due to the unprecedented increase of poaching in Africa, a
wide-spread armed conflict has result in many nations internationally as task forces now seek to
prosecute those who have committed illegal crimes.

Effects of Poaching

Due to the increasing threat of poaching, detrimental effects arise on both the organisms being
poached and the individuals within the surrounding region. Firstly, the population of animals drastically
declines to the point of near extinction for some organisms and for others, they have already surpassed
that point. The decrease of one species not only affects that species’ existence but also affects all other

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species within that food chain, as it creates a domino effect. These are known as the bottom-up and
top-down methods that detail how by incapacitating a plant, the organisms that consume the plant are
also affected, possibly leading to their extinction. In addition, by affecting a consumer or animal in the
secondary or tertiary level, lower consumers begin to increase substantially when food and resources are
limited, resulting in the decrease of their population due to competition. The species that play a key role
in developing community structure and play pivotal ecological roles are known as keystone species.

To add on, the size of protected areas continues to decrease as poachers are continuously using
the edges of these areas and moving in so that they can hunt illegally. Not only does this endorse
poaching, but it also harms the ecosystems for which these protected areas are located. In terms of their
location, wildlife tourism destinations also face negative publicity as tourism and the income of such
conservation organizations have begun to lose profit. Once again this is due to the poaching that is found
within a region that can have negative benefits of tourism within that nation as well.

Products made from poaching

The parts and fragments of both animals and plants are used in multiple ways that vary
depending on the country and traditions within it. Most commonly known, rhinos and tigers
contain body parts that have been attributed and known to positively affecting human health and
has lead to advances in the fight to cure cancer. In addition, the use of herbs and plants have
also been connected to curing different types of diseases worldwide.

Culturally, many ethnic groups believe that the body parts of animals and the leaves of
plants can be used in tribal rituals. In Chinese traditions, the incorporation of animal and plants
parts in medicine is a common fact. Parts such as “the leaf, stem, flower, root, and also
ingredients from animals and minerals.” This has created controversy and as a result has led to
an increase in black market poachers. This black market of poachers also poses another threat to
the political systems established as they provide an easily accessible network where consumers
allow demand for products to rise. Evidence of this is shown where “recent prices for a kilo of
crushed rhino horn have gone for as much as $60,000, more expensive than a kilo of gold.”

Major Countries and Organizations Involved

World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

The World Wildlife Fund is one of the largest organizations aiming to ensure the sustainable
development of the earth. To be more specific the WWF mission is to “stop the degradation of the
planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by

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conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is
sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.” In terms of combating
poaching of Flora and Fauna, the WWF has developed numerous approaches to combating this issue. It
calls upon governments to, in cooperation with one another, to reduce the consumption of endangered
species to so that they can work towards reducing the illegal supply and demand worldwide. As for the
organization itself, it has developed numerous branches worldwide that take a direct approach to tackling
environmentally issued that vary greatly.

TRAFFIC

​ TRAFFIC is a leading organization worldwide that aims to conserve the extensive and diverse
wildlife found on earth. The organization was established in 1976, and since then has developed
expertise in areas such as analyzing and investigating trends in wildlife, apparent patterns, causes and
impacts. In addition, TRAFFIC provides information in a form that private sectors then use to determine
effective and sustainable wildlife practice. TRAFFIC’s mission is “to ensure that trade in wild plants and
animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature”. By the end of 2020, TRAFFIC has the goal “to help
reduce the pressure of illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade on biodiversity, and enhance the benefits
to wildlife conservation and human well-being that derive from trade at sustainable levels”.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITIES)

CITIES, which is also commonly referred to as the Washington Convention, is an international

organization that aims to “safeguard certain species from exploitation” which it achieves through regional
and international cooperation with governments and non-governmental organizations. The headquarters
are situated in Washington DC, however as mentioned, their work is also completed internationally and
as a result, they have expanded their offices worldwide. Numerous nations are signatories to the CITIES
treaty with some exception being Haiti, South Sudan, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, East
Timor, and DPR Korea. Although CITIES isn’t directly represented in the United Nations, it is widely
regarded as having just as much importance in terms of addressing and finding solutions on this matter.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Beginning in the early 21st century, UNODC has been monitoring the rates at which poaching
exists in major biodiversity hotspots such as South America, Africa, North America and Asia. It was
shown that over the course of 15 years, poverty rates drastically increased as the increase in demand for
such products also rose. According to the UNODC website, “Widespread poverty, coupled with a
lucrative overseas market for exotic animal products, have resulted in massive poaching of African and
South-East Asian wildlife.” While economic profit plays as a prominent cause of widespread poaching,
the UNODC also recognizes that poverty and unemployment are also two primary factors that lead
individuals to such lucrative markets in the first place. In terms of their initiatives, the UNODC has

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assisted governments in strengthening and addressing the weaknesses of the present criminal justice
system in response to wildlife related and poaching crimes. It the regional and local levels, the UNODC
has aimed to tackle various environmental crime-related issues such as improved research on illegal
logging in order to increase efforts to protect wildlife and the natural resources found within their
societies, and finally to prosecute those who have committed illegal crimes.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

One of the most extensive efforts to accurately document the poaching and illicit trafficking of
flora and fauna regionally is that taken by the United Nations Development Programme. The UNDP-GEF
Biodiversity and Ecosystems portfolio is “the largest in the UN system, covering over 130 countries and
500 projects with USD 1.5 billion in funding and USD 3.5 billion of co-financing.” It provides a detailed
report of endangered species within each region of the world and the specific programs that have been
designed to aid them and to ensure that poaching of those species is discontinued. In addition to this, the
UNDP has worked directly with governmental and non-governmental organizations such as the World
Bank, Wildlife Conservation Organizations, and civil society groups in order to formulate plans to protect
endangered species and to punish those who are involved in poaching and trafficking. The UNDP’s main
focuses center around developing networks to eradicate poverty (as it is a main contributor to poaching),
empowering women, and building strong institutions to both educate the general public and to support
the rule of law.

China

China is one of the most popular destinations for both animal and plant products. This is due to
Chinese traditional methods of formulating medicinal products that rely heavily on natural based raw
materials. China’s National Inter-Agency CITES Enforcement Coordination Group (NICE-CG) “has, in the
past few years, been attempting to crack down on this smuggling, especially in the southern border of
the Guangxi Province.” Additionally, in late 2012, “the agency performed a smuggling interception
operation, which, in those two months alone, seized 17,300 live animals and 2,242 pieces of ivory and
bone.”

The fishing of sharks to acquire their fins is also popular due to it being regarded as a Chinese
delicacy. Although shark hunting in China is legal, there is international pressure to increase restrictions
on its import, due to the methods used, such as finning, which is the practice of net fishing for sharks,
removing the fins, and dumping the animal back into the ocean. This method and multiple others present
serious problems that drastically impact the survival of many species.

United States of America

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The United States is a strategic location for poaching due to its abundance of both plants and
animals. Following China, the United States is the second largest importer of illegal wildlife organisms. A
commonly poached organism in the United States is the black bear. Out of the 50 states, only 34 have
banned the trade of these bear species, which contain substances that can help treat cancerous
diseases. Nevertheless, there is still one state, Minnesota, where black bear poaching is still legal. In this
state alone, over 52,000 bears die annually due to poaching. The United States’ Environmental Program
has continued to develop initiatives that tackle this issue. When addressing solutions, it is important to
mention the impact of the Black Market both in the United States and all other nations since the market
provides one of the largest platforms where the illegal purchasing of flora and fauna products takes
place.

India

While being one of the most populous nations, India also boasts extremely diverse and varied
wildlife organisms; however, the illegal poaching of animals and plants is still apparent in India. Since
India’s animal trafficking is mostly internal, the government and NGOs face more trouble with finding
smugglers attempting to cross its borders. Nevertheless, India has strict laws concerning the protection
of its native organisms, yet inefficient governance and a lack of political willpower have undermined
enforcement of these regulations. In addition, “there is also a significant export of Indian goods, primarily
through Southeast Asia to China. Due to the direct land border, these routes are relatively safer than
importing illegal goods into Chinese ports.” Similar to China, India also uses these animal and plant
products to formulate traditional medicines and other substances.

Canada

In the past, Canada has imposed and implemented numerous laws regarding endangered
species and wildlife that protected them from criminal groups, the issue is, as we find in many countries,
is the lack of strict enforcement of these laws. This is due to the inefficient methods of locating criminal
groups and the confiscation of their illegally obtained products (not just within Canada, but all around the
world). As a result, illegally killed animals continue to surface the black market and other secretive trade
networks. “As wildlife populations start to deplete in countries like South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya,
more poachers move to Canada with its vast quantity of wild animals and protected natural parks, ideal
for illegal hunters. Specifically, in Canada, wild animals are hunted for the purpose of the exotic pet
trade, as well as medicines, souvenirs, fur, and food.” Since the formation of the CITIES organization,
Canada has moved towards implementing stricter poaching regulations, however, due to the lack of
proper funding and resources, the accurate and proper monitoring methods are unattainable.

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Timeline of Events

Date Description of event

The United States passes the Lacey Act that made it illegal to sell or purchase a
1900 poached animal in one state to someone in a different state to make a profit

1918 The Migratory Bird Treaty Act

International Union for the Conservation of Nature founded and publishes the
1948 IUCN Species Survival Commission

1961 The World Wildlife Fund for Nature is founded

The Endangered Species Act provides “conservation for threatened and

1973 endangered plants and animals in their respective habitats in an effort to keep
populations stable and protected.”

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna

1975
and Flora (CITES) is initiated

TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring network, is co-founded by the World

1976
Wildlife Fund and IUCN

1982 World Charter for Nature passed

A global ivory ban is created by CITES in an effort to “reduce poaching and

1989
stop the decreasing number of elephant populations.”

INTERPOL carries out its first operation targeting illegal logging, under the
2013 Project Leaf initiative. “Over $8 million worth of illegal timber is seized in 12
Latin American countries.”

“The first UN Environment Assembly, the highest-level UN body ever convened

2014
on the environment, discusses the illegal wildlife trade, among other issues.”

Relevant UN Treaties and Events

● World Charter for Nature​​, 1982

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o Although this treaty is not directly affiliated with trafficking, it was the first UN agreement
on the issue of environmental conservation.

● ECOSOC Resolution​​, 2001, (A/RES/12)

o This resolution was the first major UN resolution pertaining to this issue. It recognized the
problem of trafficking of protected species and continues to encourage member states to
adopt laws to control it within their own borders.

● ECOSOC Resolution,​​ 2001, (A/RES/18)

o “Builds upon resolution 2001/12 and suggests that member states cooperate to control
cross-border organizations.”
● ECOSOC Resolution​​, 2002, (A/RES/27)
o “Builds upon resolution 2002/18 and encourages member states to work with the United
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in eradicating international trafficking.”
● The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Resolution​​ 2007, (A/RES/16/1)
o Mainly encourages member states to increase cooperation with the each other in
combating international trafficking.

Previous Attempts to solve the Issue

In an evaluation of the previous attempts to solve this issue, we find that numerous governmental
and non-governmental organizations have made many attempts to end the illegal poaching of wildlife
species. For example, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has worked directly with many governments to
ensure an end to the problem. In a report of the WWF’s efforts to resolve this issue, it mentioned how
“the representatives of all governments – with the exception of China, which does not see illicit wildlife
trafficking as the most urgent issue – indicated that the best result would be achieved through demand
reduction in consumer countries.” Therefore, the WWF took the necessary measures in aiding
governments to pose stricter law on poaching flora and fauna and to formulate stricter laws for punishing
criminal groups; however, as we’ve seen, this solution has yet to become accomplished worldwide.

In addition, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is an organization that not only works to end
illegal wildlife poaching but hopes to reintegrate organisms back into societies where they have
vanished. Their work is divided into many sectors. In terms of protected area, the organization “assists
governments and communities to protect the natural systems critical to saving wildlife and wild places,
securing valuable flows of ecosystems services and local livelihoods based on principles of social and
environmental sustainability.” In terms of illegal wildlife trafficking, they use their local presence and
global influence to “stop wildlife poaching, block trafficking across transit routes, and reduce demand for
wildlife and wildlife products,” then finally, in terms of wildlife management, they “take action to minimize

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threats to wildlife so that species populations are stable or increasing, to ensure that hunting and fishing
are sustainable, and to see that conflicts between people and wildlife are resolved.” However, because
this problem is so widespread, they’ve only been tackling 50% of the biodiversity on the earth, which is
an outstanding achievement, yet not enough to completely eradicate the problem.

Moreover, the WCS has “partnered with the United States military to develop, implement and
maintain an outreach program that will discourage consumers from purchasing wildlife souvenirs by
having personnel stationed at oversea borders.” As a result, the cooperation between them will result in
a decrease in supply and demand and ultimately raise awareness about the issue at hand, thereby
letting tourists know that these souvenirs that they are purchasing come from illegally obtained animals.

Since 2001 and the adoption of the ECOSOC resolutions, the international community has
recognized this problem as a major issue. Since then most resolutions have mentioned the need for
increased cooperation between member states and how in order to solve this issue each nation needs to
have the similar laws that ban and punish the illegal poaching of wildlife. Although this increased urge to
cooperate internationally is highly beneficial, specific action plans for each country is needed. “The
government representatives of countries that are primarily associated with supply and international
organizations commented that the current approach to fighting illicit wildlife trafficking is too
uncoordinated and dispersed, limiting its impact. They called for a more systematic approach that
surmounts national borders and at the same time addresses all steps in the trade chain through a
coordinated effort of international organizations, governments, and civil society” (WWF).

Possible Solutions

The issue we are dealing with is most definitely far from being achieved, however, the first step to
getting closer to solving it would be to not only strengthen international cooperation between countries
but to call for all countries to adopt a similar legislation that would completely ban the illegal poaching of
wildlife organisms. In addition to this, member nations must impose harsh consequences for criminal
groups that are caught hunting illegally so that the fear of being caught may drive these groups away
from such activities. In addition, consequences must be placed on countries such as China that fail to
adopt the proper legislature that the house calls to agree upon. It is also recommended that MEDCs
assist LEDCs in achieving such goals and provide the necessary equipment and funds in order to do so.

A prominent cause of the illegal poaching of wildlife is due to the increasingly high supply and
demand. According to the United Nations Environment Program, the increase of demand is the main
force driving the illegal wildlife trade of protected and endangered species. These products are used for
a number of purposes including “food, clothing, religious items, medicine, sport, and even personal

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collections.” Therefore, if we want the legal aspects to be resolved we also need to address the
economic factors driving it. We as a community need to call attention to products that we are consuming
so that we know of its origins and what we are truly purchasing.

Another prime cause that relates to the previously mentioned point is the lack of awareness of the
general public. Most individuals aren’t aware of the issue of illegal poaching that occurs all around us,
most just assume that their products were obtained legally. Therefore, they need to be addressed in a
manner where not only those that are socially aware know of this topic but even those in highly remote
areas that are isolated from civilization are also educated and knowledgeable.

Another possible solution is one that conservation biologists have already been working towards
and that is the protection of endangered organisms and species against illegal poaching by creating
wildlife reserves that allow species to live according to the natural laws of the environment, free from
hunters. In some areas around the world, wildlife reserves exist, yet criminal groups continue to interfere
due to the inability for reserves personnel to surround the entire premise of the reserve. Therefore, better
enforcement and technology is needed to make these reserves more capable of sustaining the
environment within it without the threat of illegal poaching.

The issue of illegal wildlife trade is directly correlated with the illegal poaching of organisms. Once
the animals and plants have been killed, they are then sent in mass numbers to different locations
around the world, the most common intermediate being the Black Market. Therefore, if we are to
eradicate the problem, then we also need to be able to stop the illegal trade process. This can be done
by government involvement in the Black Market. Although the complete monitorization of these networks
is not ideal (since it would be an infringement on the right to free internet access), restricted surveillance
may be an option that nations should consider.This will not only stop the trading process, but also locate
these criminal groups so that they may be punished as necessary.

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2014.

UNEP Year Book 2014 Emerging Issues Update: Illegal Trade in Wildlife. Publication. UNEP, 2014.
Web. 10 July 2014.

"Unsustainable Wildlife Trade in the Amazon." WWF Global. WWF, n.d. Web. 18 July 2014

Walsh, Bryan. "Obama Moves to Fight Wildlife Trafficking in Africa. But the Real Work Is in Asia."
TIME.com. Time Inc., 3 July 2013. Web. 15 July 2014.

"Wildlife Crime." Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
UNEP, n.d. Web. 07 July 2014.

Appendix or Appendices

I. https://www.wcs.org/our-work/solutions​ (WCS-Wildlife Conservation Society)

This website and article provide different solutions not only pertaining to poaching but environmental
issues in general, that may also be affiliated with the topic. Take a minute to look through them as
they may help with providing you with ideas for resolution writing.

II. https://www.traffic.org/site/assets/files/7455/dalberg-report-dec-2012.pdf​ (Fighting Illicit Wildlife

Trafficking)

This report conducted by Dalberg on the WWF addresses the core issue of illegal poaching and draws
upon the failures of the past and what needs to be done in order to solve the issue.

III. https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/wildlife/World_Wildlife_Crime_Report_2016
_final.pdf​ (UNODC-World Wildlife Crime Report)

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A statistical analysis of data pertaining to the illegal poaching of wildlife organisms, it also provides
multiple case studies that support the arguments made.

IV. https://www.interpol.int/News-and-media/News/2018/N2018-058​ (INTERPOL)

An article that talks about an international operation against the illegal trade in wildlife, what is very
helpful is it mentions previous attempts to solve the issue and lists specific countries involved.

V. https://www.cites.org/eng/news/pr/CITES_welcomes_new_powerful_UN_resolution_to_tackle_wil
dlife_trafficking_12092017​ (CITIES)

Provides solutions from an organization that is highly reliable, it also talks about previous resolutions and
what further action is needed.

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