CITES is an international agreement between governments, aimed to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
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.
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:
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
Session 8 – Promoting the use of existing tools and services, andmobilizing support for the implementation of obligations and commitmentsunder international agreements
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).