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<p>The UK has played a leading role in galvanising international action to combat
the illegal wildlife trade, including the illegal trade in ivory. We hosted the London
Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade in February 2014 and actively supported the
Government of Botswana in its hosting of a follow-up Conference in Kasane in March
2015. The UK has also supported the Elephant Protection Initiative, of which nine
African elephant range states are now members and which is designed to help them to
secure and maintain healthy elephant populations.</p><p>The UK is committed to maintaining
the current global ban on any new international trade in ivory, established under
the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). In addition,
the UK does not permit trade in raw ivory tusks of any age and we are pressing for
this approach to be taken across the whole of the European Union.</p><p>We have committed
£13 million to support projects around the world to tackle the illegal wildlife trade.
These projects seek to reduce demand, strengthen law enforcement and develop sustainable
livelihoods for communities affected by illegal wildlife trade, principally through
Defra’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund. A second round of the Challenge Fund
was launched on 5 August.</p>
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