IUCN African Elephant Summit
IUCN
20 May 2013

Background

IUCN is seriously concerned by the escalating rise over the last three years in poaching of elephants for ivory, which is increasing across the range of the African elephant, and the corresponding illegal international and domestic trade in ivory. Many frameworks exist to tackle this problem, including the African Elephant Action Plan, CITES provisions, and national strategies, amongst others.  However, African elephant range States, as well as many of IUCN’s Members, are concerned that this problem, increasingly entrenched in networks of organized crime, cannot be addressed by the actions of environment ministries and wildlife authorities alone.

High-level commitment is required to remove the barriers to effective protection of elephants and significant reduction in the illegal trade in ivory.  These commitments are urgently needed at all points in the illegal ivory value chain, including African elephant range States, ivory transit States, and in the States that are the major consumers of ivory.

Download the full update here: IUCN African Elephant Summit 2013