China Customs and Latin American law enforcement agencies hold first online workshop on combating wildlife trafficking

(July 7, 2022, Beijing)—The first "China-Americas Law Enforcement Workshop on Combating Wildlife Trafficking" was successfully held via online conference from July 4–7, 2022. Nearly 70 participants joined the workshop, representing customs and wildlife conservation authorities from Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Suriname, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.

The workshop was organized by China Customs, and supported by IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) and WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society), reinforcing collective efforts in tackling the global chain of wildlife trafficking while promoting strengthened cooperation between China Customs and law enforcement agencies of Latin American countries.

The Latin American and Caribbean region hosts more than 40% of the world’s biodiversity. However, despite this richness in natural resources, the region is facing intense decline in wildlife populations due to industrial over-expansion, habitat destruction, commercial hunting, illegal poaching, and other factors, largely driven by the illegal wildlife trade for markets in North America, Europe, as well as Asia.

"China and Latin America are both rich in biodiversity. Law enforcement cooperation between the two regions will play an important role in global ecological security. The workshop achieved its proposed goals and laid a solid foundation for China Customs to further strengthen cooperation with law enforcement agencies in Latin American countries,” said a representative of China Customs.

In recent years, China Customs has focused on and continuously increased its efforts to combat trafficking crimes that threaten biodiversity and biosecurity, implementing a "zero tolerance" policy for the trafficking of endangered species and products such as ivory. 

During the meeting, China Customs and country representatives shared their respective policies, laws, enforcement mechanisms and recent enforcement achievements. China Customs also shared case examples and innovative trafficking crime management models. Participants agreed to establish regular bilateral and multilateral law enforcement exchange of information and explore the establishment of more standardized and practical law enforcement cooperation. The focus that China Customs gives to cracking down on wildlife trafficking as one of its top priorities, as well as the crucial role it plays across the world in helping to protect global ecological security and biodiversity, was highly appreciated.

Grace Ge Gabriel, IFAW Asia Regional Director, said "IFAW will continue to leverage its cross-regional network to support the strengthening of cooperation between the China Customs and Latin American law enforcement agencies to help the region's biological diversity conservation and sustainable development." 

Under the vision of people and animals thriving together, tackling wildlife crime is one of IFAW’s most important program areas to protect endangered wildlife and the places they call home. From source to destinations in consumer markets around the globe, IFAW strives to tackle wildlife crime along the entire trade chain and calls for continued inter-governmental and NGO-Government collaboration.

Press Contact:

Sabrina Zhang 
qzhang@ifaw.org
+86 10 6440 2960