UN chief calls for efforts to protect wildlife

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for more efforts to protect wildlife.

In a message for World Wildlife Day, which falls on March 3 every year, Guterres called on all stakeholders to turn commitment to action.

"On World Wildlife Day, we reflect on our responsibility to protect the magnificent diversity of life on our planet. And we recognize our abject failure. Human activities are laying waste to once-thriving forests, jungles, farmland, oceans, rivers, seas, and lakes. One million species teeter on the brink of extinction due to habitat destruction, fossil fuel pollution and the worsening climate crisis," he said.

"We must end this war on nature," said Guterres.

The good news is that human beings have the tools, the knowledge, and the solutions. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, which has helped protect thousands of plants and animals. And last year's agreement on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework marked an important step toward putting our planet on a path to healing, he noted.

"As this year's theme -- Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation -- highlights, we need to work across governments, civil society, and the private sector to turn commitment into action. And we need much bolder actions now to cut emissions, accelerate renewables, and build climate resilience," said the UN chief.

He also stressed the need to place the voices of local communities and indigenous people -- the most effective guardians of biodiversity -- front and center.

"Today and every day, let us all do our part to preserve natural habitats and build a thriving future for all living beings," he said.