SPDA joins the global call for urgent action against wildlife trafficking
The Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA) has joined an open letter signed by more than 100 organizations from various countries and addressed to the European Union (EU) to lead the fight against global wildlife trafficking. Through this request, we urge the adoption of an Additional Protocol against environmental crimes under the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), in order to establish minimum standards so that countries can investigate crimes such as illegal wildlife trafficking in a coordinated manner.
Currently, there are legal loopholes at the global level that criminal networks exploit to traffic our biodiversity with impunity. Given this scenario, a framework is needed to facilitate judicial cooperation, extradition, and the exchange of information among countries so that wildlife trafficking can be prosecuted with the same effectiveness with which organized crime operates.
In Peru, illegal wildlife trafficking poses growing risks to public health. This illicit activity involves the transport of animals under precarious conditions, increasing unregulated contact between people and domestic animals. In July 2025, the Ministry of Health (Minsa) reported that 68% of human diseases are related to zoonoses, and warned of the need to strengthen preventive measures through a comprehensive approach to human, animal, and environmental health.
This call aligns with previous international commitments, such as the EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking, but requires political will to translate into operational actions before the upcoming Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the Convention on Biological Diversity in October 2026.
Note:
- SPDA is a “champion” organization of the “Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime” platform, which has led the effort to draft this letter.
