The Animal Interfaith Alliance (AIA) has written to the United Nations on behalf of its sixteen faith based animal advocacy member organisations, calling on them to take decisive action to prevent further pandemics. The letter, addressed to Antonio Guterres the Secretary General of the UN, is here:
Your Excellency António Guterres
Secretary-General of the United Nations
United Nations
405 East 42nd Street
New York
NY, 10017
USA
–
9th April 2020
Your Excellency António Guterres,
Call for the United Nations to take decisive action to prevent further pandemics.
On behalf of the faith based animal advocacy organisations listed below, the Animal Interfaith Alliance, their umbrella organisation, commends the United Nations on its current efforts in tackling the global pandemic caused by the outbreak of Covid-19.
The major faiths, to which these organisations are associated, have over 4 billion followers worldwide.
It is scientifically established that Covid-19 is just one in a series of epidemics that have been caused by our abuse of nature and, in particular, our abuse of animals. These include the influenza pandemic of 1918, rabies, HIV, Lassa fever, Ebola, Nipah, MERS, SARs, bovine TB, H1N1 Swine flu and H5N1 avian flu. We outline further details of how these epidemics were caused by the abuse of animals here:
https://animal-interfaith-alliance.com/2020/03/28/covid-19-when-will-we-heed-natures-warnings-2/
Governments have failed to learn the clear lessons from these previous epidemics. Had those lessons been learned, the current pandemic, which is destroying so many lives through death and economic collapse, could have been prevented.
We call on the United Nations to do everything in its power to ensure that governments around the world learn from this pandemic and put measures in place that mitigate against the risk of future pandemics occurring. These measures include:
– A worldwide ban on wet markets;
– A worldwide ban on the wildlife trade;
– A worldwide ban on the use of animals in traditional medicine;
– A worldwide ban on factory farming – all farming should be practised to a minimum of RSPCA Assured/Freedom Food standards;
– A worldwide ban on the long distance transport of animals;
– A ban on the use of all animals in entertainment with zoos held to World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) standards;
– The promotion of non-animal based sources of nutrition (which will promote the health of the world’s population);
–
In order to implement these measures we would recommend that the United Nations works in association with organisations such as the World Organisation for Animal Health (the OIE), the International Coalition for Animal Welfare (ICFAW) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) to advise on animal welfare standards.
As this is a critical and urgent issue, our members would very much appreciate a considered response to our letter.
Yours sincerely,
The Animal Interfaith Alliance, on behalf of the following 16 faith based organisations:
The Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals
Animals in Islam
Bhagvatinandji Education and Health Trust
Catholic Concern for Animals
Christian Vegetarians and Vegans UK
The Christian Vegetarian Association US
Dharma Voices for Animals
The Institute of Jainology
The Jewish Vegetarian Society
The Mahavir Trust
The Oshwal Association of the UK
Pan-Orthodox Concern for Animals
Quaker Concern for Animals
The Romeera Foundation
The Sadhu Vaswani Centre
The Young Jains
–
Cc:
Inger Anderson – UN Environment Chief
Iyad Abu Moghli – UN Environment Programme – Faith for Earth
Copies to media
Animal Interfaith Alliance 
There MUST be a ban on wet markets and wildlife markets across the globe.
Non-human creatures deserve to have a life, just as humans do.
They were not created to be mutilated and/or eaten.
The pandemic is totally the fault of humans who are cruel and greedy.
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