Let’s hold hands together for ‘Sustaining all life on Earth’

New Delhi, Mar 3: Nature and all its factors, including animals, birds and every tiny particle that constitute nature have the strength of divine power, which refreshe us to just be with the nature. To remember every link of ecosystems and to nourish every aspect of this chain, we celebrate World Wildlife Day.

 

Humanity is weaved into “the rich tapestry of life that makes up our world’s biological diversity”, said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. “All human civilizations have been, and continue to be, built on the use of wild and cultivated species of flora and fauna, from the food we eat to the air we breathe”. On this World Wildlife Day, Mr. Guterres urged everyone to “remind ourselves of our duty to preserve and sustainably use the vast variety of life on the planet”. And yet, today, close to a quarter of all species on the planet is in danger of becoming extinct in the next few decades.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared March 3 as UN World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness regarding the world’s wild animal and plant species. This declaration was made on December 20, 2013. The day-March 3 was chosen, as it is the day when the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was adopted in 1973.

The CITES is an international agreement, which was signed between governments to ensure that the international trade of wild flora and fauna does not threaten their existence. The CITES has 183 member states. The CITES Secretariat was designated as the facilitator for the implementation of World Wildlife Day.