On November 8 2012, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hosted the event, Wildlife Trafficking and Conservation, A Call to Action at the U.S. Department of State.

The event brought together US Government officials and ambassadors from countries around the world, as well as leaders from international organisations, non-governmental conservation organisations and the private sector.

The event aimed to energise and strengthen the global commitment to combat the illegal trade in wildlife and promote conservation by placing it squarely on the foreign policy and security agenda.

Wildlife trafficking continues to threaten protected and endangered species, on land and sea, pushing some to the brink of extinction. The illegal trade in wildlife products such as ivory, rhino horn, and turtle shell is estimated to total between $7-10 billion annually. Wildlife trafficking threatens security and the rule of law, undermines conservation efforts, robs local communities of their economic base, and contributes to the emergence and spread of disease.

In her remarks, Secretary Clinton identified a four-part strategy for addressing the global problem of wildlife trafficking:

•    The United States is working with leaders from around the world to develop a global consensus on wildlife protection.

•    The Department of State is spearheading a global outreach campaign on wildlife trafficking, to be launched on 4 December 2012, on Wildlife Conservation Day.

•    Secretary Clinton called for a global system of regional wildlife enforcement networks, pledging $100 000 and building on the more than $24 million that USAID has already committed to the effort over the past five years to combat wildlife trade.

•    Secretary Clinton asked the US intelligence community to produce an assessment of the impact of large-scale wildlife trafficking on US security interests.

A full transcript of Secretary Clinton’s remarks can be found at http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2012/11/200294.htm