On 20 December 2013, at its 68th session, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 3 March – the day of signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) – as UN World Wildlife Day. This day was proclaimed to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’ s wild animals and plants.

The theme for World Wildlife Day 2018 is ‘Life below Water: for People and Planet’. World Wildlife Day 2019 aligns closely with SDG 14 (life below water), and will provide an opportunity to highlight the value of marine wildlife, celebrate successful initiatives to conserve and sustainably manage these species, and scale up support for future initiatives.