10/10/2025
11:00 - 12:30
CR A-A: Forum - Session Room 7
, Hybrid (onsite with livestreaming)
Session with interpretation
Why attend
This session challenges conventional narratives around illegal trade by expanding the focus to include the full spectrum of affected species: fungi, plants, invertebrates and fishes, integrating ecological, socio-economic, legal, and governance perspectives in an interactive World Cafe format to generate actionable insights for more effective, inclusive policies and interventions.
Session Description
Illegal trade in species is a multidimensional challenge that intersects with ecological science, socio-economic considerations, law enforcement, communications and governance. Addressing illegal trade effectively requires engagement from across the IUCN, leveraging the expertise and mandates of its Commissions to ensure a truly interdisciplinary response. This session will serve as a platform to connect and foster collaboration across Commissions,engaging members and partners to broaden the conversation and drive action. The session will bring together experts, policymakers, and practitioners to explore drivers of diverse illegal trades, identify ecological and socio-economic impacts, highlight best practices in regulation and law enforcement in physical and online spaces, identify gaps and biases in existing policy frameworks for less supported taxa, and explore innovative solutions to expand action. The discussion will identify connections among traffic in different species groups and how a more integrated approach could lead to more effective conservation outcomes for all species.