macaws in the wild

You called for an end to the global wildlife trade 

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Global leaders met for the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Saudi Arabia last month. Despite more than 1 million of you calling for an end to the cruel, dangerous global wildlife trade which caused COVID-19, there was no clear agreement to end it.

The G20, made up of 19 countries and the EU, has taken a partial first step towards reducing the risk of future pandemics by committing to advancing preparedness, prevention, detection and response.

However the agreement falls short by not addressing the cause of COVID-19 and many other pandemics: the global wildlife trade.

The fight isn’t over. More than 1 million kind people like you signed the petition demanding an end to the global wildlife trade. And together, we’ve already had some significant wins this year.

  • China and Vietnam banned the consumption of wild animals including bats, snakes and pangolins
  • China upgraded the protection of pangolins to the highest level
  • You pushed five pharmaceutical companies in China to stop using ingredients that come from wild animals 
Caged pangolin in a market

Credit: Arief Budi Kusuma / shutterstock.com 

Thank you for being part of the fight

The petition to end the global wildlife trade, signed by more than 9,000 New Zealanders and 1 million supporters around the world, is supported by word-leading wildlife experts - including Dame Jane Goodall.

G20 global leaders have shown that they are listening, but they need to go further to demonstrate that they’re taking the threat of future pandemics seriously.

What’s next?

Italy is hosting the G20 Leaders’ Summit in 2021, so we’re now looking to the Italian Presidency to acknowledge that human and animal health are inextricably linked, and to ensure that the G20 take the crucial next steps to make a global wildlife trade ban a reality in 2021.

With your help, we will continue to work with the G20 to hold them accountable to their promise to prevent future pandemics, reminding them of the need to establish a global wildlife trade ban. Together, we can end the wildlife trade. Forever.

G20 global leaders have shown that they are listening, but they need to go further to demonstrate that they’re taking the threat of future pandemics seriously.

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