News

For use of the media only; not an official document. PRESS RELEASE Ministers further enhance international cooperation to combat rhinoceros poaching and illegal trade in rhinoceros horn Geneva, 16 February– Further enhancing international cooperation to combat rhinoceros poaching and the associated illegal trade in rhinoceros horn was in focus in Geneva last week, with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretariat hosting Ministerial-level and Senior Officials meetings for key States concerned with

FOLLOWING THE MONEY APPROACH: UNODC national workshop in Kenya and regional workshop for the Caribbean Region in Panama on "Recovering the proceeds from wildlife and forest crime" Two workshops addressing “Recovery of Proceeds of Crime from Wildlife and Forestry Offences” were organised by UNODC from 24-28 November 2014, in Naivasha, Kenya, and 1- 4 December 2014 in Panama City, Panama. The workshop in Naivasha, Kenya was a practical case-study based workshop, hosted by the Government of Kenya in cooperation with

LYON, France - An INTERPOL report has underlined the need for greater coordinated enforcement efforts worldwide to combat the illegal trade in bears to ensure that offenders are identified and prosecuted and that the illegal trade does not have a lasting impact on bear species. The “Assessment on Illegal Bear Trade” report by INTERPOL’s Environmental Security unit highlights in particular how poaching and the illegal trade of bears, their parts and derivatives continue on a large scale worldwide. With the

LYON, France – A five-month long INTERPOL-coordinated operation targeting wildlife trafficking in tigers and other big cats across Asia has resulted in the seizure of hundreds of animals and more than 160 arrests. Involving 13 countries, Operation PAWS (Protection of Asian Wildlife Species) also focused on lesser known species also in high demand by the black market, such as bears and pangolins. Wildlife traders using the internet and social media in certain countries were also investigated. Among the live animals

Expert group on timber analysis meets in Vienna Last week, UNODC with its partners of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) united efforts to tackle timber crimes by bringing together 30 experts from various disciplines to discuss issues related to timber trafficking and how the use of scientific methods can support law enforcement operations and judicial responses to this crime. Experts from around the world gathered in Vienna from 10 – 12 December to look at the timber

For use of the media only; not an official document. PRESS RELEASE A big step forward in the fight against wildlife crime CITES supports INTERPOL Operation to locate known environmental criminals, including wanted wildlife crime kingpins Geneva, 17 November 2014 - The first global operation targeting individuals wanted for serious environmental crime, including wildlife crime, led by INTERPOL and supported by the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), was announced today. The initial phase of INTERPOL’s Operation ‘INFRA-Terra’ (International

At the 83rd session of the ICPO-INTERPOL General Assembly meeting in Monaco from 3 to 7 November 2014, Mr.Jürgen Stock was elected as the new INTERPOL Secretary General. The 55-year-old Vice-President of the German Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) took over from Mr. Ronald K. Noble of the United States of America, who stepped down after 14 years of service as INTERPOL Secretary General. The CITES Secretariat joins the international community in warmly congratulating Mr Jürgen Stock on his appointment. The Secretary-General of

Elephant poaching remains at critical levels in Africa, and continues to exceed the natural elephant population growth rates. This rapidly growing transnational organized crime threatens national security, the rule of law, and economic and social development. The International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) today released ‘ Guidelines on methods and procedures for ivory sampling and laboratory analysis ’ in support of the deployment of forensic technology to combat elephant poaching. Led by the United Nations Office on Drugs and

The Senior Experts Group of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) met in Geneva last week to discuss progress with its collaborative activities to combat wildlife crime. Opened by Mr. John E. Scanlon, Secretary-General of CITES, the meeting provided the opportunity for representatives from the five partners of ICCWC – the CITES Secretariat, INTERPOL, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), World Bank and the World Customs Organization – to discuss the current and future work programme of

The International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) today further strengthened its efforts by launching the ICCWC Strategic Mission 2014-2016 . The document sets out the consortium’s diverse agenda to combat wildlife and forest crime, providing the first strategic framework for the consortium’s activities and future directions since its establishment in late 2010. The ICCWC Strategic Mission 2014-16 outlines five focus areas to be simultaneously pursued by the consortium – strengthening cooperation and coordination, analysing current responses to wildlife and