NEW REPORTS ON ZOONOTIC DISEASE PREVENTION

1 July 2025

On the 50^th anniversary of the entry into force of CITES, and together with our partners ICCF Group and Legal Atlas, we are proud to launch five groundbreaking reports produced under the two-year project “Preventing Future Zoonotic Pandemics: Strengthening National Legal Frameworks and International Cooperation,” generously supported by GIZ’s International Alliance against Health Risks in Wildlife Trade.

What’s inside?

• Legislative Benchmarking Report – the foundation for understanding the approach to zoonotic disease prevention from local to global levels.
• International Legal Best Practices Guide – a practical tool for assessing national legislations that govern wildlife trade and zoonotic disease risk.
• Legal Gap Analyses – country-specific deep dives for the project’s target countries –  Angola, Botswana, and Zambia, that assess their legal frameworks to manage and control wildlife diseases.

Why it matters
When CITES entered into force on 1 July 1975, it created the first global framework for international trade in certain species of fauna and flora to avoid over exploitation through trade. Half a century later, legal and illegal wildlife trade have both expanded dramatically, and we now know the stakes are high not only for the survival of the species in trade – but for public health and the risk of zoonotic diseases:
Eight of the ten most-traded species capable of hosting WHO Blueprint diseases live in Angola, Botswana, and Zambia.
Weak or fragmented domestic laws leave loopholes that allow high-risk trade to slip through the cracks.

Regional leadership in action
Parliamentary caucuses from Angola, Botswana, Zambia and beyond came together in Luanda in May 2025 to chart a collaborative path forward, echoing the spirit of the newly adopted WHO Pandemic Agreement with its strong One Health focus.

Read the full reports: 

• Angola Legal Gap Analysis: Wildlife Disease in Terrestrial Fauna
• Botswana Legal Gap Analysis: Wildlife Disease in Terrestrial Fauna
• Zambia Legal Gap Analysis: Wildlife Disease in Terrestrial Fauna
• Preventing Future Zoonotic Pandemics: Strengthening National Legal Frameworks & International Cooperation International Legal Best Practices: Terrestrial Wildlife Disease and Trade
• Wildlife Trade to Prevent Future Pandemics: Legislative Benchmarking Report Assessing Entity Needs to Manage Zoonotic Disease Risks in Wildlife Trade

Learn more about the project and regional activities via our press release here.

By strengthening national laws and fostering regional cooperation, we can better protect wildlife and keep people safe.