2nd Global meeting of Wildlife Enforcement Networks

2nd Global meeting of Wildlife Enforcement Networks

The CITES Secretariat, on behalf of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), and with generous funding support from the Department of State of the United States of America convened the Second Global Meeting of Wildlife Enforcement Networks (WENs) alongside the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP17) to CITES in Johannesburg, South Africa, in September 2016.

The meeting promoted the sharing of information on best practices and lessons learned about the establishment and functioning of WENs, further strengthen networks and enhance cooperation and coordination among them. It brough together network representatives, wildlife law enforcement officers, and international organizations and other relevant organizations from around the world to share experiences and consider measures to further strengthen WENs, promote their operational effectiveness, and enhance cooperation and interaction amongst them.

Report of the meeting

The report of the meeting is available here.

Resource materials (network information sheets and presentations):

Information Sheets: 

Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network South Africa (ARINSA); Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC); Central America WEN (Red de Observancia y Aplicación de la Normativa Silvestre para Centroamérica y República Dominicana (ROAVIS); China National Inter-agencies CITES Enforcement Coordination Group  (NICECG); European Union Enforcement Working Group on CITES; EUROPOL; Horn of Africa WEN (HA-WEN); Indian Ocean Forum on Maritime Crime (IOFMC); Lusaka Agreement Task Force (LATF); North America Wildlife Enforcement Group (NAWEG); SADC Rhino and Elephant Security Group; Southern Africa Wildlife Enforcement Network (WEN-SA); South America Wildlife Enforcement Network (SudWEN); and World Customs Organization Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices of Asia-Pacific (RILO AP) and Eastern and Southern Africa (RILO ESA).

* Availability and content of information sheets based on responses by the different networks to the questionnaire circulated by ICCWC before the meeting.

Directory of network focal points:

Directories of wildlife enforcement network focal points, and other enforcement and species specific focal points can be found here.

Session 1 – Cooperation and coordination to combat illegal wildlife trade:

-       Introduction to ICCWC and Global wildlife trafficking: The World Wildlife Crime Report, Jorge Rios, UNODC

-       Different types of networks to combat wildlife crime, Grant Pink, University of New England

Session 2 – Supporting and enhancing collective law enforcement efforts:

-       Secondments, twinning programmes and mentorships, Tim Steele, UNODC

-       International Law Enforcement Attaché Programme, David Hubbard, USFWS Office of Law Enforcement

Session 3 – The NGO perspective: Lessons learned in supporting networks

Session 4 – Best practices and challenges: Lessons to be learned from established networks (by region)

             Africa

-       IOFMC: creating sustainable cooperation mechanisms for combating wildlife crime, including  with the judiciary and prosecution, Javier Montaño (UNODC)

-       LATF: operating as a network established by a treaty between countries, Bonaventure Ebayi

-       COMIFAC: implementing activities in Central Africa (PAPECALF), Chouaibou Nchoutpouen

             Asia

-       NICECG: national multiagency cooperation in China, Meng Xianlin

-       SA-WEN: developing a regional action plan for South Asia, Maheshwar Dhakal

             Americas

-       NAWEG: benefits of close regional cooperation and successful cases, Sheldon Jordan

-       ROAVIS: operating through a prosecutors network and planned activities, Thalia Palacios

             Europe

-       EC Enforcement Working Group: networking in a free trade zone, Franz Böhmer

Session 5 – Experiences in establishing new networks and taking different approaches

-       ASEAN-WEN: recent development of ASEAN-WEN, key activities, challenges and opportunities, Achmad Pribadi.

-       Caribbean: Outcomes of the Caribbean Regional Wildlife Enforcement Workshop, Maurice Isaacs

-       HA-WEN: experiences in establishing and operationalizing the network, Daniel Pawlos

-       South America WEN: establishing a network through a prosecutors network, Vania Tuglio

Session 6 – Interaction between networks and regional bodies, and regional cohesiveness

-       CITES Experts Group for West Asia: cooperation to combat illegal wildlife trade in the region, Fahad Alajmi

-       Southern Africa WEN: best practices and challenges in the development of the network, David Lawson

-       Rhino and Elephant Security Group of Southern Africa: work and activities of the group, Rod Potter

-       ARINSA: Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network of Southern Africa, JP Willemse

Session 7 – The role of regional and global law enforcement bodies and opportunities for enhanced cooperation:

-       EUROPOL, Werner Gowitzke

-       WCO RILOs, Chul-hun Lee/Sang Yong Park (RILO AP), Anisio Langa (RILO ESA)

-       INTERPOL Regional Bureaus, Mubita Nawa (RB Harare)/Sosthenes Makuri (RB Nairobi)

-       Wildlife Crime Working Group (WCWG), Sheldon Jordan, Chair INTERPOL WCWG

Session 8 – Promoting the use of existing tools and services, andmobilizing support for the implementation of obligations and commitmentsunder international agreements

-       CITES Resolutions and Decisions and tools available, Edward van Asch, CITES

-       UN Resolutions, UNTOC and UNCAC, and tools available, Tim Steele, UNODC

-       INTERPOL General Assembly Resolutions and tools available,  Henri Fournel, INTERPOL

-       WCO Cooperation Council and tools available, WCO

-       EU and Africa TWIX, TRAFFIC

Session 9 – Working groups discussions (see meeting report for details):

1.     Discussion on the need to develop guidelines for the establishing of new networks and the strengthening of existing networks

2.     Exploring solutions to enhance communication and cooperation between and within networks, opportunities to  promote the use of existing tools and services, and tomobilize support for the implementation of global obligations and commitments under international agreements through networks.

3.     Identifying possible regional and global operations along specific trade routes (closed group for government/IGO representatives)

Session 10 – Working Group reporting to plenary and Discussion (see meeting report for details)

Session 11– Next steps and agreement on outcomes of the meeting (see meeting report for details)

*All content and materials included in the presentations is the sole responsibility of the respective presenters

Photos of the event, together with photos of CoP17, can be found here.

The meeting followed the first global meeting held in the margins of CITES CoP16 in Thailand (Bangkok, 2013).