WWD, World Wildlife Day 2023: World Wildlife Day is celebrated every year on the 3rd of March around the world as part of the United Nations World Wildlife Day.
World Wildlife Day 2023
| Event | Details |
|---|---|
| Celebration of | World Wildlife Day |
| Short Name | WWD |
| Celebration Date | March 3, 2023 |
| Organization | World Wide Fund |
| Headquarters | Geneva, Switzerland |
| Founded in | Morges, Switzerland |
| Foundation Date | 29 April 1961 |
| World Wide Fund Director | Marco Lambertini |
Throughout the world, every year on the 3rd of March, wildlife of our beautiful nature is celebrated as part of the UN World Wildlife Day, because the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora was signed in 1973 on this day, and not only that it is also the birthday of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
The wild flora and fauna of our beautiful planet earth is celebrated and promoted during this annual global event that takes place each year. It is also the date on which the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora which is the abbreviation of (CITES) was adopted in the year 1973, marking the beginning of the current extinction crisis of wildlife. CITES aims to protect the survival of species from being threatened by poaching and other harmful activities to animals for international trade.
CITES celebrates its 50th anniversary this year
We celebrate the World Wildlife Day to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of CITES coming into existence on this day. Since the beginning of CITES, the organization has been at the point which can also be called the crossroad of trade and conservation, and because of this reason it has aimed to establish various types of partnerships and also negotiate important differences between the groups that are governed and guided by the rules and regulations of the CITES organization, as well as to build partnerships.
Overview of the CITES
CITES is the short name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention, which is a multilateral treaty aimed at protecting endangered plants and animals from trading threats posed by international trade. A resolution was adopted in 1963 due to a meeting of members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at which a resolution was drafted. In 1973, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) was opened for signature and took effect on 1 July 1975.
The purpose of CITES is to ensure that international trade (import/export) in specimens of animals and plants included under the Convention does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild during their lifetime. Permits and certificates are used in order to achieve this goal. The CITES Convention offers varying degrees of protection to over 38,000 different species of plants and animals.
Theme for World Wildlife Day 2023
As part of the celebration of World Wildlife Day in 2023, we will honor all the people who have contributed significantly to conserving wildlife and the environment by highlighting the partnership between people and wildlife.
The Significance of World Wildlife Day 2023
On the 3rd March of the year, we celebrate and raise awareness about the rich diversity of wild fauna and flora found around the world. There is no better time than now to highlight the importance of wildlife and their habitats on this day. Moreover, it is considered a day of international importance which is dedicated to promoting the need for their protection and conservation on a global scale, as well as a day of international significance. The United Nations selects each year, as part of its theme selection process, a theme that is aimed at raising awareness of specific challenges that wildlife populations and ecosystems around the world are facing.
There is a great deal of significance in the day due to the fact that it coincides with the adoption of CITES, an international agreement aimed at preventing the trade of endangered species from posing a threat to their survival. The World Wildlife Day is a day that reminds us of the importance of conserving biodiversity for the survival of all species, including humans, in the world.
History of World Wildlife Day
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has been in force since 1973. Its purpose was to ensure that the influx of international trade does not threaten the survival of wild species of fauna and flora.
The 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) was held in Bangkok on March 16, 2013. During this meeting, the Kingdom of Thailand sponsored a resolution that was adopted as a result of this meeting. As a result of this resolution, March 3 has been designated as World Wildlife Day.
During the Sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly on December 20, 2013, the General Assembly officially declared March 3 to be World Wildlife Day. The purpose of the celebration was to raise awareness about the wild fauna and flora of the planet, as well as to celebrate it. CITES was adopted on the same day as this date in 1973, which coincides with the adoption of CITES.
The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, as well as other relevant United Nations organizations, is responsible for facilitating the implementation of World Wildlife Day.
There are now more than 183 members of CITES, which remains one of the world’s most powerful tools for protecting biodiversity by regulating the trade in wild fauna and flora.
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