New York: Citing what it called alarming trends in illicit hunting and poaching of animals, and following hard on the heels of the killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe by a US dentist, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Thursday that supporters believe could be the start of a long fought for global effort to tackle illegal poaching and trafficking of wildlife.

The killing of Cecil attracted worldwide condemnation: Hollywood film stars bemoaned his fate, the internet lit up with fury and now, with seeming coincidental timing, the UN has passed Resolution A/69/L.80 on "Tackling the Illicit Trafficking in Wildlife". Co-sponsored by Gabon, Germany and more than 80 other nations, the resolution is the culmination of three years of diplomatic efforts. "This is an historic day - the world has sent an unequivocal and collective signal at the highest-level that ending wildlife crime is a top priority," said Steven Broad, executive director of the wildlife organisation TRAFFIC.

The UN resolution encourages countries to "adopt effective measures to prevent and counter the serious problem of crimes that have an impact on the environment, such as illicit trafficking in wildlife and wildlife products…as well as poaching".