The illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is organised crime on a global scale, devastating wildlife and pushing some of the world’s most iconic species like elephants and rhinos towards extinction.
This criminal trade is estimated to be worth up to $20 billion annually as poachers and traffickers illegally trade wildlife and wildlife body parts, such as rhino horn, ivory, pangolin scales or tiger parts, among many others. This illegal trade is a major threat to global biodiversity and human health, and is linked to money laundering, corruption and extreme violence, as well as the trafficking of drugs and weapons.
United for Wildlife was founded by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in 2013 to protect endangered species from this abhorrent trade. At its core, United for Wildlife fosters global collaboration in the private sector to stop the trafficking of wildlife products. It does this through two Taskforces: a Financial Taskforce and a Transport Taskforce. These Taskforces bring together some of the world’s largest businesses in the transport and financial sectors to break the chains of the illegal wildlife trade.
By sharing knowledge and information across sectors and between countries, United for Wildlife is transforming illegal wildlife trade prevention and the prosecution of those who profit from these crimes.
United for Wildlife is only possible thanks to the global partnerships it has set up. These represent large proportions of the shipping, airline, and financial industries as well as government agencies, the private sector, law enforcement, conservation NGOs and foundations. With special thanks to Deloitte, DP World, Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Qatar Airways and Sigrid Rausing Trust.
Wildlife crime poses an international threat to our nature, health and security. United for Wildlife offers a global solution to end this global problem.
Our Impact
United for Wildlife has contributed to
arrests
law enforcement cases
employees trained