Why is World Wildlife Day celebrated on March 3?

World Wildlife Day is observed each year on March 3 to raise awareness about issues that impact wildlife. Earth is home to innumerable species, and each one of them plays an important role in balancing the environment.

In 2022, the theme is ‘Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration. ‘ The theme for 2022 seeks to raise awareness of the critically endangered species of flora and fauna in our ecosystems, with a view to generating and implementing workable solutions to conserve them.

Background

On 20 December 2013, the Sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly decided to proclaim 3 March as World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora. The date is the day of the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973, which plays an important role in ensuring that international trade does not threaten the species’ survival.

Previously, 3 March had been designated as World Wildlife Day in a resolution made at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP16) held in Bangkok from 3 to 14 March 2013. The CITES resolution was sponsored by the Kingdom of Thailand, the Host of CITES CoP16, which transmitted the outcomes of CITES CoP16 to the UN General Assembly.

The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), in collaboration with other relevant United Nations organizations, facilitates the implementation of World Wildlife Day.

With 183 Member States, CITES remains one of the world’s most powerful tools for biodiversity conservation through the regulation of trade in wild fauna and flora.