The Spanish NGO Great Ape Project has appealed to the United Nations and several UNESCO bodies to bolster protections for great apes, a group that includes chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas and bonobos.
The organization has urged the United Nations to prepare a report and a Declaration of Fundamental Rights for these primates, covering the right to life, the protection of personal freedoms, and a prohibition on torture.
In response to the objection that chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos and orangutans cannot claim rights within human communities, the NGO argues that their interests and rights must be safeguarded by human guardians, just as the interests of minors and people with disabilities are protected by society.
Similarly, the group has engaged UNESCO bodies, including the director general, to declare and protect great apes as the living heritage of humanity.
Great Ape echoes the director general’s statements after his visit to Rwanda earlier this month. He noted that the situation of these species worldwide is critical and urged the international community to take steps to avoid the risk of extinction for some species.
The preservation of these cousins of humans is essential. The director general has emphasized that protecting them is a shared responsibility.
In particular, the NGO has sent requests to the Spanish National Commission for UNESCO, the European Office of the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Secretary-General, the United Nations Communications Division, and the United Nations Science Division, seeking strong action to safeguard these primates.
These are among the international agencies asked to adopt the great ape bill of rights, and the push for UNESCO to recognize both captive and wild populations as protected species reinforces the directors’ message: protection is a shared duty.
Pedro Pozas, executive director of the Great Ape Project, argues that people should openly acknowledge the kinship between humans and great apes. This recognition highlights our shared cognitive abilities and our common life on the planet, evolving together across history.
Threats facing chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and bonobos include habitat destruction, poaching, the expansion of livestock farming, and the rise of the illegal pet trade. The latter, driven by social networks, is a dangerous trend spreading among certain circles and needs decisive action.
Contact address of the environmental department: [redacted]