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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

For use of the media only; not an official document. PRESS RELEASE Global alliance celebrates 5 years’ achievements in combating wildlife crime International consortium was launched at Global Tiger Forum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 2010 Geneva, 23 November 2015 - The increased involvement of organized crime groups and on some occasions rebel militia, has changed the dynamics of combating wildlife and forest crime. The International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) was formed to ensure a formidable and coordinated

On November 3, UNODC hosted a special event "addressing the nexus between wildlife and forest crime and corruption," organized by the Corruption and Economic Crime Branch and the Global Programme for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime, and held during The Sixth Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption. This high level event was an urgent call for immediate action to the anti-corruption world. All speakers, which included the Executive Director of UNODC, Secretary General of

UNODC, within the framework of ICCWC, convened an Expert Group Meeting in Vienna in December 2014 that brought together the law enforcement and scientific communities. Participant experts included individuals from various national agencies, forensic and research scientists, front line law enforcement officials and legal experts. The meeting highlighted the need to address and discuss the challenges specific to timber identification cases and the processes and practicalities of the different areas of work and related expertise required. It also emphasized the

The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and its partners in the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) supported a one day workshop on CITES and a two-day cutting-edge training on wildlife law enforcement in Bangladesh on 5-7 October 2015. The training was tailored based on findings resulting from the implementation of the ICCWC Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit in the country, which produced a number of specific

In September 2015 over 40 law enforcement officials completed a three day comprehensive wildlife crime training course held in Accra, Ghana and in Dakar, Senegal. Ninety percent of all trade is conducted via maritime containers. Annually less that two percent are inspected. Therefore risk profiling of shipments and intelligence led interdiction are crucial to detecting illicit flows of wildlife and timber products to combat this form of organised crime. The workshops were designed to strengthen the investigation skills of the