Kampala, 12 April 2024 – Forensic science is a powerful tool to strengthen investigations and prosecutions on forestry crime. The availability and use of forensic science services play a key role in an effective and fair criminal justice system because it provides objective and timely information to process evidence at different stages of the criminal justice process.
UNODC is supporting national authorities in Uganda to strengthen their timber forensics capacity. In order to assess the primary challenges of the illegal timber trade and identify training and equipment needs in timber forensics UNODC’s Global Wildlife Forensics Advisor conducted a timber forensics needs assessment in Uganda in close collaboration with national counterparts. The assessment included meetings with the relevant law enforcement authorities and other stakeholders, including Customs and judicial authorities, as well as a visit to the Uganda Police Force’s forensics lab and the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s wildlife DNA micro-lab, which is supported by UNODC and its implementing partner TRACE Wildlife Forensic Network. Since it became operational in 2022 with significant buy-in from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the lab has conducted casework and produced court reports for many illegal wildlife trade cases.
As Gladys Kamasanyu, Chief Magistrate of the Uganda Wildlife Court, stated, “our wildlife forensic science must meet the international standards to ensure the evidence is suitable for court.”
This forensic needs assessment is a critical step to identifying the forensic tools that can help solve issues related to trade chains and investigative processes in timber trafficking cases. UNODC will work with UWA and the National Forestry Authority (NFA) to develop a range of in-country training courses for NFA officers, including timber DNA and species identification, as well as a Quality Management System and casework documentation system. With the support of TRACE, UNODC will ensure that the wildlife lab remains operational and has extended capacity beyond wild animals to also include all Ugandan timber species to strengthen the investigation and prosecution of illegal logging crimes.
This support is provided within the framework of the EU-funded project, “Combating deforestation and forest degradation in Uganda through the criminal justice system,” under the UNODC Global Programme on Crimes that Affect the Environment with funding provided by the European Union.