Wildlife Crime Consortium publishes strategic programme for 2016-2020

The International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) has unveiled its Strategic Programme for 2016-2020, detailing targeted activities, operations and initiatives the Consortium aims to deliver to support wildlife law enforcement agencies to combat illicit wildlife trafficking and enhance their capacity to take enforcement action to fight these serious crimes.

Today’s launch follows the strong recognition of the need for increased international collaboration and coordination to combat illicit trafficking in wildlife, and the important role of ICCWC, which has been recognized at the highest levels of the United Nations, by ICCWC partner organizations and in other fora.

Mr. John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General, said: ”The UN General Assembly Resolution on ‘Tackling Illicit Trafficking in Wildlife’ calls for firm and strengthened national measures, and an enhanced regional and global response to illicit wildlife trafficking. Implementation of the Consortium’s Strategic Programme will strengthen the capacity of law enforcement authorities to take well targeted and coordinated enforcement actions to combat illicit wildlife trafficking and give them access to the tools and techniques required to fight transnational organized criminal groups. The ICCWC enforcement indicators framework, also being launched today, will allow countries to track and monitor their progress and identify where a change in response is needed.”

The Consortium’s Strategic Programme outlines the types of activities to be pursued by ICCWC up to 2020, including to strengthen cooperation and coordination amongst wildlife law enforcement agencies; analyzing and facilitating responses to wildlife and forest crime; strengthening national enforcement capacity; raising awareness and political support to combat illicit trafficking in wildlife, and; improving the use of knowledge and innovation to counter wildlife and forest crime. It was launched at the 66th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee (SC66) that is being held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 11 to 15 January 2016.

Continue reading this press release (also available in French and Spanish) on CITIE's website - more details and links at the link below:

https://cites.org/eng/news/pr/wildlife_crime_consortium_launches_enforcement_indicators_13012016

Source: CITIES Secretariat