Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to tackle the illegal wildlife trade.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) works with a wide-range of partners to raise awareness and promote action to tackle the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT). During visits to Asia in September and October, I discussed IWT with ministers in Mongolia and Cambodia, and in Laos I raised awareness with students about the catastrophic impacts the trade has on wildlife populations.

We have also worked with international partners to help secure a strong IWT Resolution at this year's United Nations General Assembly. We are increasing our support for Africa-led Green Corridors initiatives to further support wildlife conservation, community development and safe movement of animals across borders. The FCO also supports Defra to deliver projects overseas, including those funded by the IWT Challenge Fund.

In 2018 the FCO, together with the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra), and the Department for International Development, convened the largest ever global IWT conference, at which 65 countries and a number of multilateral organisations signed up to the London Declaration.