All Eyes on London
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Wildlife All eyes on London: EIA recommendations for the 2018 London Illegal Wildlife Trade conference Wildlife ©EIAimage We would like to thank ABOUT EIA EIA UK 62-63 Upper Street, Ximporae. Ut aut fugitis resti ut atia We investigate and campaign against London N1 0NY UK nobit ium alici bla cone consequam environmental crime and abuse. T: +44 (0) 20 7354 7960 cus aci oditaquates dolorem volla Our undercover investigations E: [email protected] vendam, consequo molor sin net expose transnational wildlife crime, eia-international.org fugitatur, qui int que nihic tem with a focus on elephants and asped quei oditaquates dolorem tigers, and forest crimes such as volla vendam, conseqci oditaquates EIA US illegal logging and deforestation for dolorem volla vendam, consequo PO Box 53343 cash crops like palm oil. We work to molor sin net fugitatur, qui int que Washington DC 20009 USA safeguard global marine ecosystems nihic tem asped quei oditaquates T: +1 202 483 6621 by addressing the threats posed dolorem volla vendam, consuo molor E: [email protected] by plastic pollution, bycatch sin net fugitatur, qui int que nihic eia-global.org and commercial exploitation of tem asped que n nes ape verrovid whales, dolphins and porpoises. maximolorera doles magni tet ea Environmental Investigation Agency Finally, we reduce the impact of voluptas enis as de evel ipsam (UK) Ltd. Company Number: 7752350 climate change by campaigning dolendit, voluptam endusci psunto VAT Number: 440569842. Registered to eliminate powerful refrigerant quibusandit, sitaque enture inEnvironmental England andInvestigation Wales Agency (UK) greenhouse gases, exposing related Ltd. Company Number: 7752350 VAT Number: illicit trade and improving energy 440569842. Registered in England and Wales efficiency in the cooling sector. 2 Environmental Investigation Agency Introduction EIA welcomes the UK’s commitment to host a successful fourth Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) Conference in 2018 in London resulting in meaningful outcomes. We look forward to working with you towards this end. EIA analysis indicates that the basic legislation and institutional framework to combat wildlife crime already exists, but there remain critical gaps in the response of key source, transit and destination governments (EIA, 2016, Time for Action). For example, all key countries, including those that have participated in the 2014, 2015 and 2016 IWT conferences, are Parties to the UN Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC), the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). They are also members of INTERPO and the World Customs Organisation (WCO). Several countries are members of regional bodies dedicated to combatting wildlife crime such as the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network and the Lusaka Agreement Task Force (LATF). At least 15 countries assessed by EIA already have the requisite national legislation to tackle poaching and wildlife trafficking as a “serious crime” as defined under UNTOC. There is no more time to waste – the tools for turning the tide against wildlife crime already exist but there is still an urgent need for rapid high- level commitment to real action to reverse the current high profit/low risk nature of wildlife crime. Please find herein EIA recommendations for national actions to be adopted by the UK Government to demonstrate how the UK is combatting illegal wildlife trade; reviewing progress made so far under the London IWT Declaration framework; recommendations for ensuring the success of the 2018 London IWT Conference under its three themes; suggestions for side-events in the run-up to and during the IWT conference; and desired outcomes. ©EIAimage Above: seizures of illegal wildlife are often a mere setback for criminals. CONTENTS To deter criminals from trading wildlife we need to increase arrests, strengthen prosecutions and seize assets. A: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NATIONAL ACTIONS TO BE ADOPTED BY THE 4 UK GOVERNMENT TO DEMONSTRATE HOW THE UK IS COMBATTING IWT B: REVIEWING PROGRESS UNDER THE LONDON IWT DECLARATION 6 FRAMEWORK C: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE 2018 LONDON IWT CONFERENCE: THEME 6 1 - TACKLING IWT AS A SERIOUS ORGANISED CRIME D: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE 2018 LONDON IWT CONFERENCE: THEME 8 2 - BUILDING COALITIONS E: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE 2018 LONDON IWT CONFERENCE: THEME 9 3 - CLOSING MARKETS FOR ILLEGALLY TRADED WILDLIFE F. IDEAS FOR SIDE EVENTS THAT COULD INCLUDE A BROADER AUDIENCE, 10 INCLUDING NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS IWT BRIEFING 3 ©EIAimage ©Press Association©Press A: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NATIONAL ACTIONS TO BE ADOPTED BY THE UK GOVERNMENT TO DEMONSTRATE HOW THE UK IS COMBATTING IWT As the host country, it is critical that the UK adopts urgent actions to demonstrate, in good faith, its commitment to tackle • adopt measures to enable the wildlife crime by implementing the application of financial sanctions following: to disrupt the activities of criminal networks involved in transnational • enact relevant national legislation organised wildlife crime. A good before October 2018 to prohibit ivory example of such a measure is the trade; recent financial sanctions imposed by the US Government Department • provide sufficient funding for the of the Treasury Office of Foreign National Wildlife Crime Unit to Assets Control (OFAC) against the ensure its proper and effective Laos-based Zhao Wei transnational functioning in the long term; criminal organisation on a number • adopt sentencing guidelines for of grounds, including wildlife wildlife crime to raise awareness trafficking and trade EIA( (2015), Sin about the seriousness of such City: Illegal wildlife trade in Laos’ crimes and to secure consistent Special Economic Zone); and deterrent sentencing in wildlife • play an active role under the crime cases in the UK; Financial Action Task Force (FATF) 4 Environmental Investigation Agency framework to promote the effective Prevention and Criminal Justice implementation of legal, regulatory (CCPCJ) and the UN Crime Congress and operational measures for to ensure that wildlife and forest combatting money laundering crime continues to have a high associated with organised wildlife profile through monitoring the crime. This would include: implementation of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) o encouraging the FATF-Asia Resolution 2013/40 on Crime Pacific Group (APG) to consider prevention and criminal justice actions to complement the responses to illicit trafficking in US OFAC sanctions against protected species of wild fauna and Zhao Wei’s network and other flora, particularly the ECOSOC’s organised wildlife crime recommendations for member networks in the region. This states to improve bilateral, sub- year the annual APG meeting is regional, regional and international scheduled to take place in July cooperation; in Nepal; • facilitate provision of support o ensuring that wildlife crime is from UNODC to key countries in addressed under existing FATF strengthening their criminal justice processes for national mutual response to wildlife and forest crime. evaluations and assessments. For example, countries which do For example, China is currently not have a case-tracking system in the process of going through can invite UNODC to tailor and set the mutual evaluation process up goCase as per that country’s to assess its implementation of criminal justice system, providing a FATF recommendations; case-tracking and management tool for investigators and prosecutors o HM Treasury (the UK Government’s lead on to improve the management international policy and accountability of criminal development on anti-money investigations and prosecutions; laundering) engaging NGOs • ensure that the UK Department for and other relevant stakeholders International Development (DFID) with a view to addressing anti-corruption strategies, funding wildlife crime under the FATF and support for strengthening framework; governance frameworks abroad • continue to provide funding under takes into consideration the critical the IWT Challenge Fund to sustain role of corruption in enabling wildlife and increase the capacity of and forest crime; organisations working to protect • post law enforcement officers in wildlife threatened by trade; UK embassies abroad to liaise with • continue to play a leadership role national law enforcement agencies Above: The UK’s leadership on wildlife and forest crime, has been critical in elevating to strengthen implementation of the profile of wildlife crime UNTOC and UNCAC and ensure particularly in countries which play abroad but action is still a key role in wildlife trafficking, required at home. they are better applied to combat transnational organised crime and including Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Below: Laos’ Golden Triangle corruption associated with wildlife China, Myanmar, India, Nepal, Special Economic Zone Malaysia, Tanzania, Mozambique, is home to transnational and forest crime; organised criminals involved Nigeria, and Uganda; in wildlife trafficking. • continue to play a leadership • role at the Commission on Crime set a precedent as the first G8 member to apply the ICCWC Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit to identify gaps and obstacles to combatting wildlife and forest crime. department to publish a short guidance document describing the channels for law enforcement co- operation and process for submitting requests for mutual legal assistance. Guidance documents for mutual legal assistance have been published for