14 November 2014
ICCWC issues Guidelines to combat illegal ivory trade
The International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) released Guidelines on Methods and Procedures for Ivory Sampling and Laboratory Analysis in support of the deployment of forensic technology to combat elephant poaching.
Led by the UN Office for Drugs and Crime UNODC (a member of the consortium), the Guidelines were developed together with experts from around the world. Intended for worldwide use, the Guidelines are aimed at first responders, investigators, law enforcement officials, forensic scientists, prosecutors and the judiciary. ‘Their purpose is to facilitate the use of forensic science to the fullest extent possible in order to combat wildlife crime, and in particular, to combat the trade in illegal ivory through the provision of guidance to support transnational criminal investigations and law enforcement operations’, according to the UNODC. Political momentum for urgent action has been building, according to the UNODC.
In 2013, the 16th CITES Conference of the Parties adopted measures to encourage the increased use of forensic technology to fight wildlife crime. In 2013 at the African Elephant Summit held in Gaborone, Botswana, governments pledged to tackle the illegal ivory chain and called for the development of a network of forensic labs. The guidelines will support these actions, UNODC said.
Under the umbrella of ICCWC, the CITES Secretariat, INTERPOL, UNODC, the World Bank and the World Customs Organization (WCO) are working together to bring coordinated support to wildlife law enforcement agencies and networks at national, regional and global levels to enhance global cooperation and capacity to combat wildlife and forest crimes.
Source: UN News Centre | New UN guidelines issued to counter ‘critically high’ levels of elephant poaching in Africa
Source: ICCWC-UNODC | Guidelines on Methods and Procedures for Ivory Sampling and Laboratory Analysis | 2014