- South Africa’s Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has called on the Group of Twenty (G20) nations to move swiftly from commitment to action in implementing the newly adopted declaration against environmental crime.
Speaking at the United for Wildlife Global Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday, George urged world leaders to translate their pledges into tangible measures that combat transnational crimes threatening ecosystems and societies alike.
His appeal follows the adoption last month of the Cape Town Declaration on Crimes that Affect the Environment, which marked the first time major global economies formally recognised environmental crime as organised crime. The declaration calls for stronger international cooperation to tackle illegal wildlife trade, deforestation, mining, waste trafficking and other activities that undermine environmental and economic stability.
For the first time in G20 history, South Africa succeeded in placing environmental crimes on the forum’s official agenda. That effort culminated this week in the adoption of the Rio Declaration on Crimes that Affect the Environment in Brazil, which builds on the Cape Town Declaration spearheaded by South Africa and endorsed by G20 nations representing over 85% of the world’s economy.
“When the G20 Environment and Climate Ministers met in Cape Town, we brought the duty of protecting wildlife to the heart of global decision-making,” George said. “For the first time, major economies agreed that crimes affecting the environment are not marginal issues. They are organised crimes that threaten our security, our economies, and our people.”
He reiterated South Africa’s commitment to upholding the principles of respect, accountability and shared responsibility set out in the declaration, noting key domestic actions aligned with this stance. “We are closing the captive-bred lion industry — the only commercial lion industry in the world — and recommending that dried abalone be listed under Appendix II of CITES,” he said.
George also reaffirmed South Africa’s firm opposition to reopening trade in ivory or rhino horn, stressing that environmental crimes have direct social and economic impacts. “Every animal poached, every forest felled, every coastline stripped has a human cost,” he said. “When we unite against wildlife crime, we defend more than animals. We defend people. We defend economies.”
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
