E. K. ELKINA RUDN University student E. A. ELKINA Institute of Africa, Russian Academy of Sciences Keywords: UN, UNEA, environmental protection, illegal trade in wildlife objects A sense of universal danger should unite all countries of the world. Humanity is greedily and increasingly consuming the resources of the biosphere. Already 30-40 years ago, it became clear that nature is not able to independently restore everything that man takes from it. That is why the task of stopping environmental degradation and, in general, reversing the process in order to ensure progressive development, has become one of the main ones on the agenda of the entire world community. In June 2014, the first ever UN Environment Assembly (UNEA)*was held in Nairobi, Kenya. During the Assembly meetings, it was noted that the social, economic and environmental problems facing our planet are interrelated and must be addressed by integrating all three aspects. Only in this way can we achieve the results necessary to ensure the long-term well-being of humanity. Special attention was paid to issues of vital importance for the African continent. Speaking at the final session of the Assembly, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said:: "The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil on which our food grows are all part of a sensitive ecosystem that is under increasing pressure, and we need to act decisively to change the way humanity treats our planet." 1 As a result of the Assembly's work, 16 resolutions were adopted, which, as the UN Under-Secretary-General, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Achim Steiner noted in his speech, can shape the global environmental agenda in the future, and will determine joint actions on priority issues, starting with plastic garbage and microplastics in the seas before illegal trade in wildlife objects. "These resolutions, including the air quality resolution, clearly indicate that at its first session, UNEA has established a r ... Read more