- Title: THAILAND: CITIES CONFERENCE ON ENDAGERED SPECIES OPENS IN BANGKOK
- Date: 2nd October 2004
- Summary: (U4) BANGKOK, THAILAND (OCTOBER 2, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. WS: OPENING CEREMONY OF CITES MEETING 0.04 2. REPRESENTATIVES FROM CITES MEMBER COUNTRIES 0.07 3. (SOUNBITE) (English) SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA, WILLEM WIJNSTEKERS SAYING: "What this 30 year old convention urgently needs, ladies and gentlemen, an increased political will in most if not all its 166 parties. Polical will to take responsibility and to meet obiligations. CITES is in urgent need of action rather than words." 0.28 4. VARIOUS OF MEMBER DELEGATES (2 SHOTS) 0.34 5. THAI PRIME MINISTER THAKSIN SHINNAWATRA WALKING TO STAGE 0.41 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PM THAI THAKSIN SHINNAWATRA SAYING: "I would like to underscore the increasing need for all of us to step up our international law enforcement cooperation through CITES. Certainly, Thailand wants to make CITES work for all of the countries in the world by fighting away at this meeting to increase our global cooperation in the reduction of Nature-related crimes." 1.08 7. PRESS 1.12 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PM THAKSIN SHINNAWATRA SAYING: "The problem, however, extends well beyond our borders and jurisdiction. Acting alone, we cannot fully eliminate the illegal activity even in our own country. Acting together, we all can make a difference in tackling this serious problem. To be sure, there is no country that can fight this battle alone. For this reason I'm convinced that increased government to government cooperation in fighting these Nature crimes is absolutely essential." 1.55 9. WS: DELEGATES 2.02 Initials NOTE: WRONG TIME CODE ON CAPTION Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 17th October 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BANGKOK, THAILAND
- Country: Thailand
- Reuters ID: LVA725XAXXC0CT72LCOJEYBYQN3G
- Story Text: A conference on endangered species has opened in
Bangkok.
A global meeting on endangered species opened in
Thailand to calls for global cooperation to fight for
illegal wildlife trade. More than 2,500 representatives
from 160 member countries gathered at the CITES meeting on
Saturday (Oct 2) aimed to solve the problem of illegal
smuggling on wild animals and flora.
The 13th Meeting of International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) will update the
trade rule governing some of the world's most charismatic,
exploited and economically valuable wildlife species.
A global meeting calls for money and the political will
to fight a thriving illegal wildlife trade worth billions
of dollars.
Environmentalists complain illegal traders are running
circles around the treaty which relies on its member
governments to enforce it.
"What this 30 year old convention urgently needs,
ladies and gentlemen, an increased political will in most
if not all its 166 parties. Polical will to take responsibility
and to meet obiligations. CITES is in urgent need of
action rather than words," Secretary General of
CITES, Williem Wijnstekers said.
CITES already bans trade in 600 animal species and 300
types of plants from apes to cactI, and strictly limits
trade in 4,100 animal species and 28,000 types of plants.
In Bangkok, 60 proposals are on the table to protect
species from the minke whale and humphead wrasse fish to
Southeast Asia's ramin tree, a major export timber, and
medicinal plants.
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said his
country, a key supplier and transit point for the illicit
trade, would lobby its Southeast Asian neighbours for a
regional network to
boost cooperation between their crime-fighting agencies.
"I would like to underscore the increasing need for all
of us to step up our international law enforcement
cooperation through CITES. Certainly, Thailand wants to
make CITES work for
all of the countries in the world by fighting away at this
meeting to increase our global cooperation in the reduction
of Nature-related crimes," Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinnawatra said.
Environmentalists are pressing Asian governments to set
up a network akin to Interpol to fight traders who easily
operate through the region using complex smuggling routes.
"The problem, however, extends well beyond our borders
and jurisdiction. Acting alone, we cannot fully eliminate
the illegal activity even in our own country. Acting
together, we all can make a difference in tackling this
serious problem. To be sure, there is no country that can
fight this battle alone. For this reason I'm convinced that
increased government to government cooperation in
fighting these Nature crimes is absolutely essential,"
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinnawatra said.
The talks, held every two years, come as organised
crime gangs reap massive profits across Southeast Asia from
trade in exotic illicit goods ranging from elephant ivory
and rhino horn to tropical timber and turtles.
Their destination is often China, a country whose
passion for wild game, snakes, turtles and fish is
legendary and is threatening wild animal stocks in the
region.
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