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Eliminating the 2016 wildlife trafficking law and not disrupting it
PL 114-231, second. 201
2019 report to Congress
The Law of Wildlife Trafficking (END) (End) (PL 114-231) (Law) (Law), Minister of Foreign Affairs, is directed in consultation with the Minister of Interior and the Minister of Trade, to submit a report that narrates the two countries to focus and countries of interest, as is specified in this law.
Wildlife trafficking is still a dangerous crime that threatens security, economic prosperity, the rule of law, long -term preservation efforts and human health. President Trump called, in the executive order 13773, to follow a comprehensive and decisive approach to dismantling organized crime unions and identifying specifically the relationship between trade in wildlife and criminal organizations across the national.
The Labor Division of Wildlife Trafficking (Labor Squad), which participated in the presidency of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Interior, and the Public Prosecutor, brought together 17 departments and federal agencies to implement the national strategy to combat wildlife trafficking (“National Strategy”). The USG approach consisting of three aspects of combating wildlife trafficking-enhancing law enforcement, reducing demand, and building international cooperation-deprives criminals from a major source of financing, which reduces the criminal threat represented by American citizens.
The work of the work team to combat wildlife trafficking makes a difference on Earth at home and all over the world. The efforts and activities of the work group are coordinated better via USG: competencies are identified and exploited, repetition of repetition, and resources used more strategic; International communication continues to expand; The improved intelligence identified new fields of work. By working in partnership with the private sector, local communities and NGOs, the United States has led the road worldwide, and secured agreements and obligations from governments and stakeholders at all levels to take urgent measures. The most prominent efforts of the Labor Band in the separate strategic review is included, as required in a second. 301 (d) of the Law of Wildlife Trafficking.
In order to improve accountability and report the implementation of the strategy, the Labor Squad has developed 14 indicators to monitor USG measures to address wildlife trafficking in focus countries. Ten indicators measure inputs, outputs, or the results of law access to law enforcement, cooperation efforts, policy reforms, and demand -limiting actions designed for each country. Four indicators measure the dimensions of the danger of realizing or treating wildlife crimes in each country. The members of the Labor Squad will create basic measures for the indicators in 2019 and 2020 and will set goals for a sub -group of indicators to follow the foregoing. The indicators monitored in 2019 will be reported in the 2020 strategic review.
Focus countries[1]
A methodology for identifying 26 countries of the original focus
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has worked closely with other agencies in the Labor Squad to employ both qualitative and quantitative information to identify the concentrated countries and countries that are concerned, as specified in Article 2 of the Law, to report the end of 2017. Technical experts and scientists from the work group agencies established an operation to analyze the information of wildlife trafficking and collected a set of relevant and available data. This analysis included the evaluation of data derived from public reports by USG agencies and international entities such as the International Trade Agreement in endangered species of wild animals and plants (CITES), the International Federation for Conservation of Nature, and the United Nations Bureau of Drugs and Crime, as well as NGOs such as the Center for Advanced Defense Studies, Traffic, Environmental Investigation, and Download. Information from the required national assessments has strengthened and increased our previous results.
The work group’s agencies, including that actress in American missions abroad, reviewed the initial analysis and provided additional information that was only locally available. These analyzes of the country helped distribute international data, including providing information on additional species such as cats, monkeys and marine species. The agencies also looked at the path of wildlife residents and the impact of trafficking on this path, government efforts and the private sector to prevent illegal trade, and the presence of legal or regulating local markets that are threatened by wildlife trafficking.
The Labor Squad also assessed whether governments have recently taken steps to improve legislation, regulations,/or other trends so that the country acquires its efforts to combat illegal trade in wildlife.
2019 focus countries
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in consultation with the interior and trade departments, and with the United States Agency for International Development, agreed that all countries listed as a concentration country in the end of the 2018 law report must remain. Each country is still listed “a major source of wildlife trafficking products or its derivatives, a major transit point for wildlife trafficking products or its derivatives, or a major consumer of wildlife trafficking products”, and the appointment appears to have contributed to increasing interest in combating wildlife trafficking in some concentrated countries.
In line with Article 301 of the End Law, American missions were placed in each country the focus of a strategic plan, based on the evaluation of the American mission of wildlife trafficking within that country. American agencies have used strategic plans to direct and coordinate USG methods and responses to the needs and gaps specified in the evaluation. The heads of the Labor Squad, along with the United States Agency for International Development, developed and distributed templates for both strategic assessments and plans. All work group agencies, whether in the Post or in Washington, have been invited to contribute to their development. The work squad was reviewed for completion and consistency, identifying contrast based on the site in the supply chain, resources within the American mission, and previous participation in this case.
During the past year, American missions in all countries have completed the previously identified concentration and strategic plans. These documents provide together a general overview of issues related to wildlife trafficking in that country, define the main areas of strategic intervention by USG, or to create a new platform or support the current structures in the task of directing the “USG” coordinated approach. In some cases, the development of the national strategy for the first time all the USG resources and agencies that operate in this square, which provides a clear vision of the full scene to support USG. For some, the assessments and strategies provided the opportunity to raise trade in wildlife as an important security and economic issue, not only in the task but also within the host government.
To evaluate the new potential focus countries, the Labor Squad has analyzed a set of seizure information derived from government data groups, popular media reports and other sources that reflect the illegal wildlife trade attacks all over the world. The analysis focused on data from 2013 to the present time of the species listed in CITES. Then the two countries were classified by the total number of seizures reported, and nine new countries were identified for further review. Then the work team requested additional information from American tasks in those countries and judicial states. Additional information is reviewed to determine whether other countries should be added. This process resulted in the addition of the following to the list: Hong Kong Special Administrative Zone and Zimbabwe. The work group will work with each task to complete the required evaluation and strategy throughout the fiscal year 2020.
This definition depends on our analysis of legal standards in the end law and does not reflect a positive or negative judgment for the listed countries or indicates that these countries are not working hard to combat wildlife trafficking. In fact, the United States has long -term partnerships with many of these countries in combating wildlife trafficking and recognizes the strong political will already in many of these countries to address this problem. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other business squad agencies are looking forward to continuing close and constructive relations with these countries, as we work cooperatively to combat wildlife trafficking.
2019 Focus Country List (alphabetical order)
- Bangladesh
- Brazil
- Burma
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Gabon
- Hong Kong Special Administrative District
- India
- Indonesia
- Kenya
- Loser
- Madagascar
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- Mozambique
- Nigeria
- The People’s Republic of China
- Philipini
- Republic of the Congo
- South Africa
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Togo
- Uganda
- United Arab Emirates
- Vietnam
- Zimbabwe
Anxiety countries
A methodology for identifying disturbing countries
To determine the countries of anxiety according to the directives of the section 201 (B) of the law, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in consultation with the departments of the Interior, Trade, and other agencies in the workplace, was reviewed for the information available to the public in addition to the classified materials that indicate the following governments that actively engage in trafficking in infectious or threatened species. A review of classified reports, NGOs and open source found insufficient evidence to appoint new disturbing countries. The situation in countries of interest in 2017 remains largely unchanged. This appointment does not indicate that all parts of the government or participated in trafficking in wildlife, but there are dangerous concerns about the occurrence of high -level or regular government participation.
2019 Countries of Interest (in alphabetical order)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Loser
- Madagascar
[1] Note that this list includes both countries and judicial authorities
For more information about the US government’s efforts to combat wildlife trafficking, please see:
2019 End Wildlife Arporicing Restrate
