Your Excellencies,Ladies and Gentlemen,
It's a great pleasure to be here tonight and it's incredibly encouraging to see such anunprecedented gathering of Heads of Government, Ministers and experts from around theworld. And I'd like to particularly thank Jackie Chan again for his unwavering support of thisissue and for coming all this way tonight. I feel enormously grateful that you have asked meto address you – this room is full of people whom I admire immensely and I feel humbled to behere.
My father, The Prince of Wales, who will also be attending the London Conference tomorrow, hasalways been a passionate advocate of wildlife conservation – as has my grandfather, TheDuke of Edinburgh, who has championed the cause for decades. We are, as a family, sohonoured to be part of this movement. We will stay the course with you until you succeed.
Tonight we are here with a single, shared purpose–to use our collective influence to put a stopto the illegal killing and trafficking of some of our world's most iconic and endangered species.
Never before has a group like this come together – in these numbers – to stop the illegal tradein wildlife. All of us in this room have a duty to make sure that tomorrow, 13th February, is adate that marks the beginning of the end of this despicable trade.
The Conference will bring together leaders from around the world who will pledge to reduceboth the supply and the demand driving this trade. Let's not for a second underestimate howimportant this step is.
The illegal wildlife trade is now the 4th most lucrative transnational crime after drugs, armsand human trafficking. It is estimated to be worth between 10 and 20 billion dollars each year.Some might imagine it is a crime without human victim, but over 1,000 rangers have beenkilled in the past 10 years. Every week, another two rangers are murdered by poachers. There isalso evidence that poachers' activities are funding international terrorism.
The scale of the trade continues to increase dramatically and is becoming ever moresophisticated. Poachers now operate in highly organized, international criminal gangs.Technology is also being exploited for the sale of these goods, with illegal products openly andeasily available online.
But we need to believe in our ability to turn the tide. We need to tackle wildlife crime with aconcerted global response as vigorous and forceful as the trade itself. We need to setaside differences, speak with one voice and act as one global community. I am delighted thatthis is happening.
As President of United for Wildlife, I am proud that seven of the world's largest field-basedorganisations, and my Foundation, have taken the first steps to create a powerful globalalliance, addressing both demand and supply issues. United for Wildlife recognises five specificareas which need to be addressed.
If I may, I will briefly list them:
First, we must strengthen protection for endangered species through the use ofsophisticated new technology, including GPS trackers and drones.
Secondly, by working with experts in marketing, youth leaders and policy makers, we can workto reduce the consumer demand for illegally traded products.
Thirdly, legal systems are key to fighting wildlife crime. We need to support the judiciary andlocal authorities to combat trafficking, and to shine a spotlight on successful law enforcement.
Fourthly, we need to encourage the private sector–including shipping companies and others –to declare a 'zero tolerance' approach to the illegal wildlife trade.?
Finally, and perhaps crucially, we need to support local communities to ensure their livelihoodsimprove as a direct result of these conservation efforts.
The United for Wildlife organisations are committed to these five pledges, which have beendrawn up because they are achievable. I know that all of you in your own ways are alreadyhelping to implement these pledges, too.
Let me say again what I said a few moments ago: tonight is an unprecedented gathering. Thefact that we are all here gives me faith that we can turn the tide against the illegal wildlifetrade. Let's turn tonight's goodwill into action, and, please, let's be part of the movementthat can tell our children and grandchildren that we saved these extraordinary species forthem.
Thank you so much for being here tonight.