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Wildlife anti-trafficking alliance marks fifth anniversary amid calls for more collaboration

Xinhua, November 24, 2015 Adjust font size:

UN wildlife conservation agency on Monday called for strong global recognition of the need for increased international collaboration and coordination to combat illicit trafficking in wildlife.

According to the secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the increased involvement of organized criminal groups and on some occasions rebel militia, has changed the dynamics of combating wildlife and forest crime.

On the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the launch of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), CITES said in a statement that the world needs to ensure a formidable and coordinated response to such crimes and to assist law enforcement authorities in their fight against this highly destructive criminal activity.

A Letter of Understanding was signed on Nov. 23, 2010 by five inter-governmental organizations, namely CITES Secretariat, INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the World Bank and the World Customs Organization, thus forming the ICCWC.

Since its creation, the important role of ICCWC has been widely recognized, most recently by the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution on Tackling Illicit Trafficking in Wildlife, which includes a recognition of ICCWC and acknowledges the valuable technical assistance ICCWC can provide to support member states to tackle illicit trade in wildlife.

"ICCWC is giving front line officers combating wildlife crime the ability to deploy the same tools and techniques used to combat other serious crimes, which is essential if we are to win this fight," said CITES Secretary General John E. Scanlon.

He added that during the past five years, ICCWC has developed tools and provided coordinated support and services that countries need to enable them to confront the organised criminal groups that are driving industrial scale poaching and smuggling.

According to him, building on its current Strategic Mission, ICCWC will also launch in coming months its Strategic Programme for 2016-2020, the consortium's targeted strategy to combat illegal trade in wildlife in a comprehensive and coordinated manner for coming years.

ICCWC is also developing an anti-money laundering learning programme with a specific focus on wildlife crime, which is expected to be ready by mid-2016, for the training of investigators, prosecutors, judges, and other relevant stakeholders involved in the investigation and prosecution of wildlife crime cases. Enditem