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International Forum on Combating Money Laundering and Transnational Organized Crimes: Criminal Networks, Trade Dynamics and Beyond Opening Ceremony Keynote by CITES Secretary-General Ivonne Higuero 10 December 2024, Hong Kong SAR, China Excellencies, Distinguished delegates, Guests and participants, Ladies and gentlemen, It is my great honour to address you today at the International Forum on Combating Money Laundering and Transnational Organized Crimes: Criminal Networks, Trade Dynamics and Beyond. I would like to begin by expressing my sincere thanks to the Hong

For use of the media only; not an official document. PRESS RELEASE Global arrests and seizures: WCO-INTERPOL Operation Thunder 2021 strikes wildlife and timber trafficking networks 30 November 2021 - A worldwide enforcement operation against wildlife and timber crime coordinated by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and INTERPOL has disrupted crime networks and seen hundreds of arrests worldwide. Codenamed Thunder 2021, the month-long (1-31 October) operation involved Customs, Police, financial intelligence units and wildlife and forestry enforcement agencies in 118

For use of the media only; not an official document. PRESS RELEASE The International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime - Annual Report 2020 – Together Against Wildlife Crime The International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime ( ICCWC ) has launched its Annual Report for the year 2020, titled Together Against Wildlife Crime. The report showcases how the Consortium’s partnerships with Member States and other stakeholders have helped enhance the capacity of customs, police, wildlife authorities and the entire criminal justice

On 23 November 2020, we mark ten years since the establishment of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime ( ICCWC ), the collaborative effort between the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretariat, INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Bank and the World Customs Organization (WCO). These five inter-governmental bodies are collectively working through ICCWC to enhance capacity and bring coordinated support to national agencies responsible

Geneva, 10 July 2020 - The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) unveiled the World Wildlife Crime Report 2020 during a high-level virtual event at which statements were delivered by Ms. Ghada Whaly and Ms. Angela Me , respectively UNODC’s Executive Director and Chief of Research and Analysis Branch; Ms. Carla Montesi , Director for Planet and Prosperity of the European Commission’s Development Cooperation Directorate; Ms. Astrid Schomacher , Director for Global Sustainable Developmentof the European Commission’s Directorate

Geneva/Lima, 4 October 2019 – Whilst poaching and wildlife trafficking in Africa and Asia have attracted considerable media and public attention in the past few years, far less has been heard about illegal wildlife trade in the Americas. Yet all is not well in this most biodiversity-rich region on our planet. Did you know 79,000 live animals of protected species were confiscated in Peru alone between 2000 to 2017? Earlier this week, a staggering 12.3 million CITES-listed seahorses were intercepted

Geneva, 20 September 2019: At the 73rd session United Nations General Assembly, the 193 Member States of the United Nations adopted its fourth resolution on tackling illicit trafficking in wildlife. With 13 references to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), including the recent 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (17-28 August 2019, Geneva), the UN General Assembly further recognizes CITES as the primary legal framework for regulating international

Wildlife enforcement networks from around the world meet to further strengthen collaborative efforts against wildlife crime Geneva, 26 August 2019 – The most recent global wildlife enforcement operation, codenamed Operation Thunderball , involved 109 countries. It resulted in over 1,800 seizures across all continents and the arrest of close to 600 suspects. The operation, which took place in June, also triggered multiple investigations and prosecutions worldwide. Such successful wildlife law-enforcement operations demonstrate what can be achieved when CITES Parties work

Geneva / Maputo, 7 May 2018 - Over 60 representatives from 24 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe and North America, and from intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, met in Maputo, Mozambique, from 1 to 4 May 2018, to discuss the development and implementation of National Ivory Action Plans (NIAPs) . The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) requires from a number of its Parties that they develop and implement NIAPs to strengthen their controls

Plenary: Remarks by John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General 7th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption Vienna, 6-10 November 2017 Thank you President and thank you for giving CITES the opportunity to address today’s Plenary session, which is a first for the Convention. I would also like to express our sincere thanks to Executive Director Yury Fedotov and his good team for their extraordinary support for CITES and the fight against wildlife