MLS researcher Zara Bending recently travelled to London for the fourth dedicated conference on illegal wildlife trade. The conference brings together global leaders to help eradicate illegal wildlife trade and better protect the world’s most iconic species from the threat of extinction. The Conference was hosted by the UK government and was held on 11 to 12 October 2018.
Scanning the Horizon: a ground-breaking study
Prior to proceedings, an academic conference entitled 'Evidence to Action' was jointly held by the Oxford Martin Programme on the Illegal Wildlife Trade, BIOSEC University of Sheffield, Lancaster Environment Centre, the Durrell Institute of Conservation Ecology, and the Zoological Society of London.
Zara co-presented findings of the Oxford Martin Programme on Illegal Wildlife Trade’s seminal work, ‘Emerging illegal wildlife trade issues in 2018: a horizon scan’. The study is the first of its kind in the context of illegal wildlife trade and uses empirical methods to rank and score emerging issues in IWT based on their novelty, plausibility, and potential magnitude of impact. It features 25 expert authors from around the world. Findings were further distributed at the main conference. The paper is due to be published shortly.
Celebrating the launch of ‘ForeverWild’ (#4EverWild) and our students' achievements
At the main London Conference, Zara launched the Jane Goodall Institute Global’s worldwide campaign alongside Erika Helms and Patrick van Veen from JGI Global. The campaign to combat wildlife trafficking is entitled ‘ForeverWIld’ (#4EverWild). 
Zara sits on the Jane Goodall Institute Australia board and has been technical expert for the global campaign committee since its inception. As part of the launch, she recorded the official conference pledge on behalf of the Institute. The campaign has launched officially in Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Senegal and Guinea, Uganda, South Africa, Canada, the United States of America, the UK, Argentina, Chile, Italy and Spain.
Centre for Environmental Law student volunteers working in a designated Roots & Shoots Australia ‘illegal wildlife trade’ stream have played a significant role in the campaign’s success by carrying out activities under the supervision of Zara and Centre Deputy Director Dr Shireen Daft. The students have supported the campaign by providing research, factsheets, online webinars, and even drafted an anti-wildlife trafficking policy adopted by the Jane Goodall Institute Global The students come from an impressive range of disciplinary backgrounds, both undergraduate and postgraduate cohorts, and their efforts are highly recognised.
The students are Aadidev Aadidev, Abigail Stevens, Alexander Roussos, Aprill Miles, Ashley Agar, Ashley Avci, James Powell, Leon Warren, Nathan Ricardo, Nessa Salvador, Perri Reynolds, Quintin Gravatt, and Shannon Peters. It has been inspiring to see our students achieve their fullest potential on a global scale.
In good company at the London Conference and Zara’s highlights
While at the London Conference, Zara met with some amazing international delegates including the Rt Hon Lord Hague of Richmond, Rt Hon Helen Clark (former PM of New Zealand and UNDP Administrator), the Honourable Dr Amanda Mohan Bhattarai of the Supreme Court of Nepal, Mr Erik Solheim, Executive Director United Nations Environment Programme, Her Excellency and First Lady Mrs Fatima Maada Bio, Sierra Leone, Clara Lucia Sierra Diaz, Community Leader from 
Columbia, Dr Rasio Ridho Sani (Director General for Law Enforcement of Environment and Forestry) and Sustyo Iriyono (Director for Prevention and Forest Protection) from Indonesia, Moses Muthoki (Community Development Manager from Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya) and Kate Brooks (photographer, film maker), Dr Medard Twinamatsiko Katonera from Mbarara 
University of Science and Tech Uganda, Mr Tim Steele, Global Anti-Corruption Adviser UNODC, Ofir Drori (Central African based activist, founder of LAGA, Last Great Ape Organisation, an Enforcement NGO fighting corruption to disrupt networks and arrest and prosecute major wildlife criminals + cofounder of the EAGLE network) and colleagues from other NGOs including TRAFFIC, Born Free, and WWF.
In addition to meeting with her ‘Horizon Scan family’, Zara’s highlights was meeting her academic idol and green criminologist Dr Tanya Wyatt, catching up with Ian Redmond OBE (the incomparable biologist and conservationist who has been involved in 50+ documentaries on mountain gorillas in addition to his significant work with elephants).
And spending time with John Scanlon, Former Secretary-General of CITES and Special Envoy for African Parks.
To view the full series of running updates from Zara’s time in London, visit the Centre for Environmental Law Facebook Page at @celmacquarie