Regional Workshop on Training and Experience Exchange for CITES Enforcement Authorities for ACTO Member Countries
Minutes of the Meeting
In Lima, Peru, from July 9 to July 11, 2013, government delegates and participants from of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela participated in the Regional Workshop on Training and Experience Exchange for CITES Enforcement Authorities for ACTO Member Countries. This meeting was held within the framework of the CITES implementation process and was possible thanks to the kind offering of the Peruvian Government to host the event. The list of attendees is attached as Appendix 1.
The objective of the meeting was:
To offer ACTO Member Countries a work environment for training and experience exchange on subjects of interest to CITES Enforcement Authorities that support the Management Authority in control and surveillance activities.
The results and products expected from the meeting were:
- To identify legal instruments necessary to apply the CITES Agreement in ACTO Member countries by the Enforcement Authorities (with emphasis on Judges and Prosecutor Attorneys).
- To share experiences on application of the Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Guideline - Peru test action.
- To propose actions to create a regional work proposal for capacity building in Enforcement Authorities of ACTO Member countries.
- Memoir of the event.
The event was held as per the Agenda approved by the attendees, attached as Appendix 2.
The opening ceremony was performed by Juan Rheineck, Vice-Minister of Agriculture; Rómulo Fernando Acurio Traverso, Head of the Environmental Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Antonio Matamoros, Coordinator of Environment of the ACTO Permanent Secretariat; and Juan Carlos Vásquez, Representative of the CITES Secretariat. The regional workshop was chaired by Silvia Velásquez from the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Vice-Minister expressed that The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora - CITES is the only international legal instrument agreed upon by governments intended to ensure the international trade of wild flora and fauna species does not represent a threat for their survival. Member countries of CITES have 3 different Authorities, and in Peru those are: i) CITES Management Authority (Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Production); ii) Scientific Authority (Ministry of Environment); and iii) Enforcement Authorities (Judges, Prosecutor Attorneys, National Superintendence of Tax Administration, GORES, National Police). Enforcement authorities are public bodies that support CITES Management Authorities in effective law enforcement and in control and surveillance activities for wild flora and fauna threatened by trade. He welcomed the representatives from Guyana, Suriname, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia and Venezuela and I wishedthem great success in the meeting.
The Head of the Environment Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru, expressed that Peru receives the representatives of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) Member Countries, who are present in the meeting to contribute in the Amazon integration and cooperation process, and in particular to identify joint measures to eliminate illegal trafficking of amazonian wildlife.
It was also stated that the objective of this workshop is within the scope of the amazon regional cooperation process between ACTO Member Countries, achieved by creating forums for reflection to identify joint policies and strategies.. Gratitude to ACTO Permanent Secretariat was expressed for their valuable support in the organization of this event.
On the other hand, the Coordinator of the Environmental Division of the ACTO PS made a presentation describing the elements justifying this Regional Workshop. He also mentioned the process carried out with Member Countries on CITES, in order to cooperate with Member Countries on its implementation through joint work between both Secretariats. References can be found in the presentation.
CITES Secretariat representative emphasized the need to identify concrete actions to create institutional mechanisms at national and regional levels to dismantle wildlife trafficking mafias operating in the region. The different initiatives and statements to fight against wildlife trafficking at international level were mentioned. This subject is a high priority in the CITES agenda. He expressed his gratitude towards Peruvian Authorities, ACTO Permanent Secretariat and the GIZ Amazon Cooperation Program on their work to bring enforcement authorities and prosecutor attorneys together to discuss strategies for fighting wildlife trafficking. This workshop provides a unique opportunity to discuss the amazonian panorama and regional proposals to fight this crime. He concluded by indicating that this effort is yielding its first results. In the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties, Bangkok, historic decisions, fostered by this region, on means of subsistence and other topics were adopted.
REGIONAL WORKSHOP DEVELOPMENT AND RESULTS
The event took place according to the approved agenda. Day 1 was dedicated to Module 1 - International legal framework - the CITES Convention, presented by Juan Carlos Vásquez from the CITES Secretariat. In this module the entire CITES context was examined, allowing participants to analyze the various aspects of implementation, enforcement and national procedures interactively together with the presenter.
During Day 2 guest speaker Ms. Liliane Ferreira from the Public Ministry of Brazil presented Module 2 - Effective Application of the Law (Judges and Prosecutors). Ms Ferreira referred to the various aspects of implementing legislation in topics related to wildlife trafficking. Participants expressed and emphasized the importance of having the opportunity to share information and experience between the countries on topics like legislation for wildlife trafficking in the Amazon region.
Day 3 involved a series of conferences related to combating trafficking in endangered plants and animals presented by INTERPOL and by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Part of the workshop dynamics consisted of open forums for analysis and evaluation, building upon regional experiences. The following points were stressed during the debates:
- Technical and specific materials about the subject need to be developed to contribute to building regional capacity.
- Regional cooperation processes between Enforcement Authorities of ACTO Member Countries need to be strengthened. ACTO, through its Permanent Secretariat, will play a major role in achieving these aims.
- Strengthen dialogue and information sharing mechanisms, especially to develop protocols and procedures for control and seizure of wildlife, and to implement rules, policies and strategies to control wildlife trafficking.
- Seek cooperation and mutual assistance between Enforcement Authorities of the region, among others by developing technical documents for control and legal enforcement.
- Strengthen the creation of national enforcement networks to support coordinated work between Enforcement Authorities, and between these and CITES Administrative and Scientific Authorities.
- Based on national experiences, work on an action plan to guide the establishment of a Regional Enforcement Network of ACTO Member Countries through the competent official bodies.
- Work so that regional action undertaken by ACTO on matters of enforcement and control of illegal trade in wildlife can be taken as a reference and complemented with other proposals in the region.
CONCLUSIONS:
- In the context of CITES implementation in the Amazon region, the country representatives recognized the significant effort and work done by the CITES and ACTO Secretariats to organize this event of Enforcement Authorities as an act of continuity to what is being achieved by the Administrative and Scientific Authorities. In this sense, they consider it necessary to continue holding this type of events, which contribute to strengthening national capacities to control illegal trade in wildlife.
- The Peruvian Delegation noted that the country is working on a project proposal to establish an Enforcement Network of ACTO MC. This proposal will be sent to the PS/ACTO in the coming days with a request to circulate it to the other ACTO Member Countries for consideration.
- Now that the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ACT) is celebrating thirty three years in effect, the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) fifteen years of existence, and the Permanent Secretariat eleven years in place, the governmental representatives highlight and recognize how much this organization has contributed to implementing the CITES Convention in the Amazon region.
- The regional workshop participants emphasize that to implement the regional programs and activities they need to have enough resources, and stress how important it is for the ACTO and CITES Secretariats to continue looking for funds to continue the regional work.
RECOMMENDATIONS
After the presentations and debates of the Regional Workshop, the governmental representatives of the Member Countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization made the following technical recommendations:
Continue providing spaces to share experience and strengthen cooperation ties, for which they request that regional events between Enforcement Authorities of the region continue to be held.
Implement a regional capacity-building program for Enforcement Authorities based on needs identified by Member Countries, developing work materials that are appropriate for the region to support them in their work, inter alia identifying and compiling cases and decisions of administrative and judicial nature concerning wildlife, among others;
Commend the Republic of Peru for preparing a project proposal to establish an Enforcement Network of ACTO MC and encourage the PS offer the necessary support so that the document is circulated as soon as possible.
Recognize the joint action being taken by the ACTO and CITES Secretariats in the regional context as a reference to be complemented by other proposals on the matter.
The delegates expressed their gratitude and appreciation to the Government of the Republic of Peru, the PS/ACTO, the CITES Secretariat and the Amazon Regional Program-PRA for organizing the regional meeting and for the hospitality offered during the event.
Lima, 11 July 2013