A panel of distinguished diplomats and experts will discuss why many governments are joining forces to bring an end to the ivory trade, what challenges they face in implementing their commitments and what Britain can do to support this growing international consensus.
The announcement by China of its intention to close its domestic ivory markets by the end of 2017, following the lead of the majority of African governments, India and the US, is a potential game-changer in global efforts to ensure elephant survival. With over 20,000 African elephants slaughtered for their tusks since 2008 – a rate unsustainable for the survival of the species - the need for bold action is imperative. The commitments by the US in 2016 and China in 2017 to ban ivory sales are crucial steps in bringing the wanton destruction of elephants and their habitats to a halt, offering a dramatic example of the innovative co-operative partnerships necessary to build sustainable development in the 21st century.
Lazarus O. Amayo, High Commissioner of Kenya to the United Kingdom has held several senior public positions before his current assignment among them: Director for Europe and Commonwealth Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, High Commissioner of Kenya to Zambia and Malawi, as well as High Commissioner to India with concurrent accreditation to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Singapore.
Dan Ashe is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. With his team of staff members and over 400 committee member volunteers, Dan is charged with advancing AZA’s vision, mission and strategic priorities. A lifelong animal conservationist, Ashe joined AZA in January 2017 after serving as the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for nearly six years.
Shu Zhan is a Research Fellow at the Institute of African Studies, Zhejiang Normal University. Recently retired as a diplomat, he has worked in Chinese embassies in Ethiopia, Namibia, South Africa, Eritrea and Rwanda. He began research on Africa in 1977 at the institute of West Asian and African Study (TWAAS) and the Chinese Academy of Social Science, with a wide range of experience in Eastern and Southern Africa politics and economics. He has translated and co-written scares of papers and books on South Africa and Africa, He completed his post-graduate studies at LSE and the University of Durham, UK. He is a visiting Scholar at the University of Zimbabwe, the George Mason University (USA) and the University of the Witwatersrand (SA).
Chris Alden is Professor in International Relations, LSE; Director of LSE-IDEAS Africa Programme; and a former Programme Head, Global Powers and Africa, South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). He is author or co-author of numerous books and reports, including The South and World Politics, China and Latin America, and China in Africa.
Twitter Hashtag for this event: #ivorytrade
The Global South Unit (GSU) (@LSE_Globalsouth) is a research and teaching initiative based in the International Relations Department of the LSE. It is a decentralised ideas hub aimed at investigating the changing role of the South in shaping the global order.