The United for Wildlife Summit begins today in South Africa bringing together conservation champions, law enforcement, the private sector, not-for-profits and global leaders with a continued shared mission to save our planet’s most endangered species for people and nature.

This week, global partners and Business Taskforce members join leaders and experts from around the world to drive forward our shared mission: to disrupt and ultimately end the illegal wildlife trade – a complex and organised series of crimes which is driving species extinction, and destabilises our economies, local communities and ecosystems across the world.

Today, The United for Wildlife Global Summit will unite an extraordinary alliance of the private sector, law enforcement, governments, and non-profit organisations. Together, they will highlight the progress made and outline the critical next steps to tackle this global crisis.

This year’s Summit is in South Africa, a country at the forefront of the fight against this global crisis, whose conservation models have become the foundations of best practice around the world.

The Summit will feature keynote speeches, presentations, and panel discussions, focusing on three vital areas: global actions to end wildlife trafficking, the critical frontline role of rangers and other nature protectors, and the crucial collaboration between finance, transport, and law enforcement sectors that will make the end of illegal wildlife crime possible.

This year, the event will pay special tribute to ‘Nature’s Protectors’ – the frontline individuals and communities from rangers, Indigenous Peoples and local communities who play a critical role in the protection of our natural world.

The United for Wildlife Summit will highlight the role of those at the forefront of championing the lived experience of nature’s protectors including Cathy Dreyer, Grace Pounsin and Juan Carlos Jiantich Arcos, leading conversations about the future of environmental protection. Cathy Dreyer is Head Ranger at Kruger National Park, SANParks, Grace Pounsin is Conservation and Research Officer, Yayasan Sabah and Juan Carlos Jiantich Arcos is Executive Secretary, Global Alliance of Territorial Communities.

Nature protectors such as rangers face an enormous task – yet their role is often misunderstood and under-resourced. With the global commitment by governments to protect and conserve a minimum of 30% of land and sea for nature and people by 2030, the role of the 286,000 nature protectors working across the globe grows in importance every day.
Throughout the event, we will also celebrate the most significant successes in the fight against wildlife trafficking over the past decade since United for Wildlife was founded by Prince William and The Royal Foundation. During that time, Prince William has been a passionate advocate for both wildlife and communities, consistently championing solutions to address the critical threats facing endangered species, their habitats, and the people who depend on them.

For the first time, United for Wildlife’s partners and networks will be joined by the UNODC’s Wildlife Inter-Regional Enforcement network and Interpol’s Wildlife Crime Working Group, expanding this alliance to make an even greater impact on ending illegal wildlife crime.