In October 2020, the Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW) released a joint statement calling for a pragmatic and science-based approach to the wildlife management challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The United Nations Environment Programme is a member organisation of the CPW.
The CPW proposed four guiding principles to reduce the risks of future pandemics originating from wild animals whilst promoting the sustainable use of wildlife resources:
- Recognize the importance of the use of wildlife for many communities, including Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), in policy responses.
- Maintain and restore healthy and resilient ecosystems to reduce risks of zoonotic spillovers and future pandemics.
- Persecution including the killing of wild animals suspected of transmitting diseases will not address the causes of the emergence or spread of zoonotic diseases.
- Regulate, manage and monitor harvesting, trade and use of wildlife to ensure it is safe, sustainable and legal.
