Recently, to promote the global awareness of the protection of endangered species pangolins, especially in the face of the current situation of illegal pangolin trade in Nigeria, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) has continuously sent letters to relevant government departments in Nigeria, including the Nigerian President, the Nigerian Environment Minister, the Nigerian Embassy in China and other institutions hoped to pay more attention to the protection of pangolins in a multi-angle and all-round manner, and jointly crack down on the illegal trade of pangolins. Lately, CBCGDF sent a letter to the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, hoping to improve the protection of pangolins by promoting education and reminding the Chinese enterprises along the “Belt and Road” and the Chinese overseas in Nigeria. To raise awareness of the protection of pangolins, drive the hearts and minds of the common, and work together to protect the endangered species pangolins.

The letter to the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria is hereby published as follows.

Co-construct Ecological Civilization and Work Together to Protect Endangered Species Pangolins

-       A Letter to the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Dear Madam/Sir,

How are you? Please allow us to introduce ourselves humbly: We are the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) from Beijing. CBCGDF is a national public welfare fundraising foundation and a national first-level society supervised by the China Association for Science and Technology and registered by the Ministry of Civil Affairs. In September 2016, after the promulgation of the Charity Law of the People's Republic of China, CBCGDF was recognized by the Ministry of Civil Affairs as the first charity organization with public fundraising qualifications.

As a leading NGO in the country, we have been sparing no effort to protect and save the pangolins, the mammals suffer the most from illegal trade in the world.  We are working hard to collaborate with important civil protection forces and institutions in Nigeria to work on research and actions to protect pangolins.

International partners in Nigeria working with us, including the Nigerian Conservation Foundation. Especially in the recent period, we have learned about the latest developments and related cases of pangolin protection in Nigeria, including some Nigerian-related news and cases of pangolin protection that have been widely reported by mainstream media in the world.

In this context, CBCGDF has initiated several specific pangolin-protecting projects and is carrying out related research projects. It is also aimed at improving the society and the public in our country and the understanding and thinking of protecting pangolins.

Recently, CBCGDF has successively sent letters to relevant Nigerian government departments, including Nigerian Environment Minister Mr. Surveyor Suleiman Hassan, Nigerian Embassy in China, and wrote to Nigerian President H.E. Muhammadu Buhari. At present, we have received positive feedback from the relevant parties on the letter. We aim to hope that the information we are trying to convey can draw Nigeria's attention from the government to the private sector, and through top-down appeals and encouragement, we believe that it will be of great help to what we are trying to accomplish. We sincerely hope that through our cooperation with our Nigerian partners, we will make more progress in the field of protecting pangolins, thereby effectively participating in global environmental governance and contributing to strengthening the friendship between China and Nigeria and building a community of shared future for mankind.

To this end, we sent this letter to you, to promote the commonwealth between China and Nigeria, and further demonstrate the “Belt and Road” initiative and the “Ecological Belt and Road” initiative proposed by CBCGDF based on this concept. Its content includes calls for Chinese “going out” enterprises along the “Belt and Road” in Nigeria, including those large enterprises, to pay attention to put the “ecological protection” as the first. Need to pay attention to the importance of protecting endangered species such as pangolins. We also hope that we can strengthen the education and reminding of the Chinese overseas, to not to eat or consume the endangered species of pangolins, and do not engage in illegal trade on pangolins. CBCGDF also has volunteers to investigate the current status of pangolins in Nigeria. Regardless of whether it is from the media at home or abroad, according to the information sent back from Nigeria, the current situation of pangolin protection has reached a very urgent level. As a leading public philanthropy foundation that is widely mobilized by the whole society to care for and support the cause of biodiversity conservation and green development, promote sustainable development, promote ecological civilization construction and harmony between man and nature, and build a community of human destiny, we take this opportunity to sincerely ask you to spread this message to our Chinese enterprises in Nigeria and Chinese overseas. Please donate your love and contribute a little bit of donation. This will help to enhance the public image of the “going out” enterprises. It is conducive to raising public awareness of the protection of pangolins worldwide.

Education and promotion the knowledge of Chinese in Nigeria is a prerequisite for strengthening the awareness of protecting pangolins. In response to this, CBCGDF is willing to provide support and assistance in these areas, including the production of materials for the relevant educational brochures (materials) for the Chinese in Nigeria, and the research and investigation of key habitats for the protection of pangolins in Nigeria with domestic and international experts, the establishment of community-protected sites for the protection of pangolins with Chinese and local people and volunteers in Nigeria, co-sponsor the annual “China-Africa Wildlife Conservation Forum” and set pangolins protection as the theme.

Last year, CBCGDF successfully co-hosted the "2018 China-Africa Wildlife Conservation Forum" in Johannesburg, South Africa, and focused on "the protection of China-Africa wildlife conservation in the context of the 'Belt and Road' from CBCGDF’s the year of the inventory of pangolins", a topic was discussed in detail. We have emphasized the consistent position of our government and the contribution and achievements of a responsible big country in protecting biodiversity and building ecological civilization. Around the International Day for Biological Diversity on May 22, 2019, CBCGDF has been invited to Nigeria to attend the Biodiversity Summit sponsored by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). At that time, we will continue to be the voice of responsible NGOs and will continue to go on the road to save the endangered species pangolins.

Here, we are deeply grateful for your time and attention. If you have any thoughts and suggestions for this letter, please feel free to contact us, thank you.

China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation

15 April, 2019

(Photo credit: CBCGDF volunteer)

Original Chinese article:

http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4937/8270.html

By / Niu Jingmei