World Wildlife Day

On 20 December 2013, at its 68th session, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in its resolution UN 68/205, decided to proclaim 3 March, the international day of the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) on the planet raise awareness and benefits fauna and flora in 1973, as World Wildlife Day. The commemoration was proposed by Thailand to celebrate and raise awareness of the world's wild fauna and flora.

UNGA Resolution
In its resolution, the General Assembly reaffirmed the intrinsic value of wildlife and its various contributions, including ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic, to sustainable development and human well-being.

The General Assembly took note of the outcome of the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES, held in Bangkok from 3 to 14 March 2013, in particular Resolution Conf. 16.1 designating 3 March as World Wildlife Day, in order to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora, and recognized the important role of CITES in ensuring that international trade does not threaten the survival of species.

The General Assembly requested the CITES Secretariat, in collaboration with relevant organizations of the United Nations system, to facilitate the implementation of World Wildlife Day.

Themes
2023: "Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation"

2022: "Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration"

2021: "Forests and Livelihoods: sustaining people and planet"

2020: "Sustaining all life on earth"

2019: "Life below water: for people and planet"

2018: "Big cats - predators under threat".

2017: "Listen to the young voices".

2016: "The future of wildlife is in our hands", with a sub-theme "The future of elephants is in our hands".

2015: "It’s time to get serious about wildlife crime".