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Physical Inspection, Wood Identification, Risk Assessment and Forensics: Empowering Law Enforcement Officers to Tackle Illegal Timber Trade in Africa Kampala, 9 December 2024 – Healthy forests sustain biodiversity, livelihoods, and local economies. Home to most of the planet’s terrestrial species, forests provide millions of people with jobs, along with food and fuel for more than 90 percent of the world’s most vulnerable populations. When forests are threatened, so too are the benefits they provide and the survival of wildlife. To

The International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime launches its 2023 Annual Report The International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) has launched its Annual Report for 2023. The 2023 Annual Report highlights the successes and achievements of countries supported by ICCWC in combating wildlife and forest crime. The Consortium uses targeted and evidence-based approaches to strengthen criminal justice systems and provide coordinated support to enhance responses to wildlife crime. This includes technical assistance, intelligence-led global operations, capacity building, financial investigations

Launch of the World Wildlife Crime Report 2024: New data, trends, threats and possible solutions to combat illegal wildlife trade Vienna, 14 May 2024 The World Wildlife Crime Report 2024 was launched yesterday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna, Austria. This is the third report in a series following the 2020 and 2016 publications. The report provides an updated focus on trends in the illegal trade in wildlife species listed in the Convention on

From Seizure to Prosecution: ICCWC hosts first global Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference 1 May 2024 From 22 to 24 April 2024, global law enforcement agencies across customs, police, prosecution from more than 20 countries from South America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia Pacific, met as part of the first ICCWC Global Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade. The conference was organized by the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) and hosted by one of the five ICCWC partners, the World Customs

A group photo of the participants to the workshop (click to enlarge) Organized by the World Customs Organization (WCO), under the auspices of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), the first international workshop on Establishing a Network of Controlled Delivery Units for Forest and Wildlife Law Enforcement ended on 9 December, after three days of deliberation. Controlled deliveries have long been a tool for investigating drug and tobacco smuggling but their use in wildlife smuggling is more recent

During its meeting in Vienna, from 11-15 April 2011, the United Nations’ Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice adopted a Resolution on “Crime prevention and criminal justice responses against illicit trafficking in endangered species of wild fauna and flora” which was proposed by Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico and the Philippines. Organized criminal networks are known to be involved in the poaching of rhinoceroses, as one example of illicit trafficking in endangered species. The Resolution ( full text attached)

ICCWC begins its work The Senior Experts Group of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) met last week at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna, Austria. Opened by Mr Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of UNODC, the meeting provided an opportunity for specialized staff of the five partner agencies to plan ICCWC activities in the short and mid-term. Experts agreed to develop a comprehensive programme of work. This programme will exploit the expertise of