The survival of Africa's elephants is under threat, with estimates suggesting more than 20,000 were killed in 2013, a report says.
The office of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) said poaching levels were far above the elephant birth rate.
However, the report said poaching numbers had dropped slightly compared to the previous two years. Transnational organised crime appeared to be involved in the trade, it added.
Cites, which is based in Geneva, is responsible for regulating the international trade in more than 35,000 species of plants and animals.
There are a number of interesting signals in these latest figures, perhaps indicating that the tougher line being taken by Cites is bearing fruit.
For the first time, more large-scale consignments of ivory have been seized in Africa rather than in Asia.
