Addressing the international illegal wildlife trade through a human rights approach

Abstract Cross‐border illegal wildlife trade (IWT) poses significant social, political and economic threats. Despite a 2013 recommendation from the Secretariat of the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species to incorporate a human rights perspective in counter‐IWT initiatives, our analysis of official documents spanning 2013–2022 reveals a lack of explicit implementation by international bodies. During the same period, global human rights organisations have given limited attention to the connections between IWT and human rights violations. In this article, we explore how integrating a human rights perspective can enhance the international legal framework and domestic measures against IWT. We conclude that to successfully implement counter‐IWT legislation, a shift in mindset is needed. A human rights approach is not just desirable, but rather necessary, in the interpretation, application and revision of policy interventions, for laws against IWT to be truly effective and equitable.