On 12-13 February 2014 the global Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference took place in London. Hosted by Prime Minister Cameron and Prince Charles, it was the highest level gathering of international leaders to date to address the illegal wildlife trade. Forty-six countries and 11 UN organisations signed the London Declaration, which included treating wildlife trade as a serious crime within the UN convention against transnational organised crime. Action for Elephants UK held a peaceful demonstration outside the summit, calling on delegates to take strong measures to protect elephants and stop the poaching. Along with many conservationists and other wildlife groups, we felt the declaration didn’t go far enough and that a critical opportunity to implement stronger measures was missed.