中国外交影响力将推动象牙贸易的安全禁止
China's diplomatic clout will re-energize the push for a total ban on ivory trade during the upcoming Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species (CITES), Kenyan officials said on Monday.
肯尼亚官方周一表示，中国的外交影响力将推动即将到来的濒临绝种野生动植物国际贸易公约对象牙贸易实行完全禁止。
Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources Judi Wakhungu said Kenya is counting on China to back its push for a total ban on ivory trade at the CITES meeting to be held in Johannesburg from Sept. 24 to Oct. 5.
Kenya has developed fourteen proposals that call for concerted efforts to protect rare flora and fauna from extinction linked to human actions and climate shocks.
According to Wakhungu, Kenya will lobby the international community to lift the status of African elephant from Appendix two to one, given the grave threats facing the giant mammals.
"A coalition of 28 African elephant range states has supported our proposal calling for renowned attention to the dire plight of these mammals linked to poaching," said Wakhungu.
"The presidents of China and the United States last year made a commitment to promote wildlife protection in Africa. We are hopeful this gesture will inject fresh impetus in the push for total ban on ivory trade in both domestic and overseas markets," Wakhungu said.