A New International Instrument against Wildlife Trafficking? An Appraisal of Current Proposals

This article explores the existing international legal framework relating to wildlife trafficking and critically examines proposals to develop a new international instrument to prevent and suppress this crime type. These include suggestions to develop a standalone treaty on the specific topic of wildlife trafficking or broader issues such as wildlife and forest crime or crimes that affect the environment as well as more concrete proposals to draft a new protocol against wildlife trafficking,
supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. This article highlights the gaps in the existing system and the challenges in developing a new instrument. It seeks to document the state of the current debates, their strengths and shortcomings, and pave the way for the next steps in enhancing global frameworks to prevent and suppress wildlife trafficking.