Subject: Fwd: Kenya
From: David Hayes <[email-masked]>
To: John Podesta <[email-masked]>
Cc: Jake Sullivan <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 19 May 2015 08:45:41 +0700

John and Jake:

FYI.  I'm still pushing on the wildlife trafficking front.  I took HRC's
suggestion that we start a campaign to heart.  See my note below to Brian
Deese re the President's upcoming trip to Kenay.  And I just sent this
message out to all of the major conservation CEOs:

*Over the past few weeks, Judith McHale and/or I have spoken with each of
you about forming a coalition to address the U.S. response to illegal
wildlife trafficking.  We all share a concern that the illegal wildlife
trafficking crisis is not garnering enough attention here in the U.S.
Ivory and other illegal wildlife trafficked parts are still being bought
and sold in the U.S.; illegal wildlife parts are being transshipped through
the U.S., and traffickers’ money is being laundered through U.S. banks. In
addition, special interest groups continue to take advantage of the lack of
public awareness of the crisis and to undermine anti-trafficking activities
on Capitol Hill and in statehouses across the country.  *

*To address these issues, and based on our discussions with many of you, we
are proposing the creation of the U.S. Wildlife Trafficking Alliance. The
Alliance will be a temporary, voluntary coalition of leaders from the
non-profit, corporate and media sectors that will partner with the U.S.
government to raise awareness of the scourge of wildlife trafficking that
is devastating elephant, rhino and other iconic wildlife species around the
world. The U.S. Wildlife Trafficking Alliance will coordinate with
high-level officials in the U.S. government to advance a public/private
initiative as described in the National Strategy for Combatting Wildlife
Trafficking.  *

*We envision that the joint Alliance/US Government effort will help combat
wildlife trafficking by bringing attention to the crisis and reducing the
demand for ivory, rhino horn and other illegal wildlife parts in the U.S.
The Alliance will include leaders from (1) major Conservation
organizations; (2) U.S. corporations that have an interest in illegal
wildlife trafficking, including businesses that inadvertently may play a
role in illegal trafficking, i.e. retailers, tourism-related companies;
banks; transporters, etc.; and (3) the U.S. technology, communications and
social media industries.  *

*It is important to note that the Alliance will be designed to complement,
and not to compete with, the work already being done in this area by so
many organizations and individuals. We envision a very lean organization
that will be focused on coordinating our activities, expanding our network
to include many more leaders in the business and media communities, and
improving the flow of information among members of the Alliance.*

*While we will continue to work closely with all members of the three Task
Force Agencies – Interior, State and Justice -- because the primary focus
of the Alliance is on the U.S. role in illegal trafficking, we have
approached Secretary Sally Jewell of the U.S Department of the Interior to
work with us collaboratively on this effort.*

*Several of us have met with Secretary Jewell and her top staff in recent
weeks.  Last Thursday, I met with Secretary Jewell and her Chief of Staff,
Tommy Beaudreau, and several of us then participated in an extended meeting
with Deputy Secretary Mike Connor, Counselor Letty Belin and FWS Assistant
Director Bob Dreher.*

*The upshot of these meetings is that Secretary Jewell is eager to work
with the Alliance in a public and highly visible way to raise awareness of
the crisis in the U.S., stop U.S. demand for illegal wildlife parts, and
demonstrate U.S. leadership in addressing this global crisis.  In doing so,
we will stay aligned with the important, parallel efforts that Secretary
Kerry and Undersecretary Novelli are undertaking abroad.  *

*In order to take advantage of this opportunity, we need to move quickly.
Secretary Jewell would potentially like to announce the formation of the
Alliance and our public/private partnership within a matter of weeks. *

*We can do this, but we will need your help in pulling it off.*

*First, we need to agree on a skeletal framework that defines the
Alliance’s effort and that describes the expectations for participants in
the Alliance.  Attached is a draft for your review. *

*Second, we need your help in identifying a few leaders in the business and
media industries whom we could recruit to the Alliance over the next few
weeks.  This will require all of us to use our personal rolodexes and our
Boards and other relationships to identify a few high-profile leaders in
business and media organizations who could be part of the initial launch of
the Alliance.  We envision a big tent that will expand over time, welcoming
additional businesses and NGOs. But we need to start with a strong handful
of business and media organizations (like NatGeo – thanks, Terry!) to
complement the strong NGO participation. *

*We would appreciate your giving this serious thought and making initial
contacts in the coming days.  We propose getting together on a conference
call to discuss our progress in this regard on Tuesday, May 26th (the day
after Memorial Day) at 2:00, Eastern Time. *

*Please let me know if you can make it.  And don’t hesitate to contact
Judith or me in the meantime.  *

*Thanks!*

*​David​*

David

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Hayes <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, May 19, 2015 at 8:40 AM
Subject: Kenya
To: Brian Deese <[email-masked]>
Cc: Jeffrey Zients <[email-masked]>, Mark Childress <
[email-masked]>

Brian:

Just a quick plug re the Kenya trip.  The President's leadership on the
wildlife trafficking front deserves to be trumpeted.  The crisis is
garnering attention world-wide.  (At current rates of killings, wild
elephants could be wiped out within 10 years.)  The President was out front
with the Executive Order that he issued on July 1, 2013 in Tanzania.  His
Task Force (co-chaired by the Secs of State and Interior and the AG) then
produced a National Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking (in early 2014)
and a follow-on Implementation Plan (in February 2015).  The E.O.
established a Wildlife Trafficking Advisory Council to facilitate gov't
engagement with civil society.  Our Advisory Council (I'm the vice-chair;
Judith McHale is the chair) provided input on National Strategy and the
Implementation Plan, and we are holding quarterly public meetings.

To draw more attention to the issue, I've also been leading an effort (with
help from Judith and many of the conservation org CEOs) to create a
broad-based Alliance of NGOs, corporations and media interests to raise
awareness of the issue in the U.S. and stop demand for illegal wildllife
products here.  We've been working with Secretary Sally Jewell and should
be in a position for her to announce formation of the Alliance, and our
public/private partnership (which is called for in the National Strategy
document), by the end of June.

There has been some talk of having the President's Advisory Council meet in
Kenya to emphasize the President's whole-of-government approach to
addressing the wildlife trafficking issue.  (NCS staff reached out to
Interior, which helps coordinate Advisory Council meetings, on the issue.)
 One of the Advisory Council's members, Patrick Bergin (President of the
African Wildlife Foundation) has offered to host the President (and the
Advisory Council, if you go in that direction) at their facility in Nairobi.

Happy to talk further about this.  I'm copying Jeff Zients and Amb. Mark
Childress, given their interest in these issues too.  Also, Judith McHale
mentioned to me that she intends to reach out to Ben Rhodes and Susan Rice
on these points.

Thanks.

David

-- 

*David J. Hayes*

*Stanford Law School*
Distinguished Visiting Lecturer in Law

Crown Quadrangle

559 Nathan Abbott Way

Stanford, CA 94305-8610

[email-masked] <[email-masked]>*

twitter:  @djhayes01

office:  650-723-7778

cell:  202-258-3909

personal email:  [email-masked]

-- 

*David J. Hayes*

*Stanford Law School*
Distinguished Visiting Lecturer in Law

Crown Quadrangle

559 Nathan Abbott Way

Stanford, CA 94305-8610

[email-masked] <[email-masked]>*

twitter:  @djhayes01

office:  650-723-7778

cell:  202-258-3909

personal email:  [email-masked]