Policymakers are increasingly aware that wildlife can bring significant economic benefits to many countries, including the majority of Small Island Developing States and many developing countries heavily dependent on wildlife to generate tourism revenue, write Achim Steiner, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Program (UNEP), and Bradnee Chambers, Executive Secretary of the UNEP Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP/CMS) in this World Economic Forum blog. More than 120 countries are participating in the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) November 4-9, 2014, where they will decide whether to grant greater protection to iconic species such the Polar Bear, the African Lion, and several sharks, including the Hammerhead. As migratory species their very survival depends on international cooperation.