Abu Dhabi, 11 November 2023 – In a remarkable display of global collaboration, 140 representatives from 36 countries and territories gathered for the seventh iteration of the Wildlife Inter-Regional Enforcement (WIRE) meeting in Abu Dhabi from November 7 to 10, 2023. This event brought together authorities from four continents, joining forces to foster cooperation to combat wildlife and forest crime.
The WIRE model was designed in 2016 in response to the need for intensified cooperation in the investigation of transnational criminal networks. These meetings are led by UNODC and provide specialized platforms for investigators, prosecutors and other practitioners to combat wildlife crimes through the tools of criminal justice. WIRE meetings aim to address the intricacies of international cooperation by promoting informal networks and facilitate communication among criminal justice practitioners in Africa and Asia, and Latin America.
Luise Ndapanda Ileka, a Senior Customs and Excise Officer from Namibia, described her experience at the WIRE event as "a perfect moment, the arrangement fostered an atmosphere of active and focused participation, uniting us all in a shared purpose". This year the meeting was co-hosted by UNODC and the Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and brought together senior representatives from police, prosecution, wildlife and forest agencies, customs officials, and related institutions across three continents.
The 7th edition was formally opened by senior representatives of hosting and participating institutions, namely the Ministry of Interior of the UAE (Lieutenant Colonel Dana Humaid), the Regional Representative for the UNODC Office for the Gulf Cooperation Council Region (Mr. Hatem Aly), the Director General of the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of the People’s Republic of China (Mr. Zhijie Sun), the Attorney General for the Republic of Malawi (Mr. Thabo Chakaka-Nyirenda) and the Director General of Customs of Madagascar (Mr. Zafivanona Ernest Lainkana) who spoke on the challenges related to law enforcement and environmental protection.
As in previous editions of the WIRE, a full day was allocated to the organization of restricted bilateral meetings among participants. This component was cited as the most appreciated part of the event by all participants. These meetings aimed to establish an informal information-sharing platform, enabling real-time transboundary cooperation essential for seizures and post-seizure investigations across countries and continents. A total of 86 informal bilateral meetings were held this year, in which national authorities discussed previous and recent cases, exchanged contacts, and identified opportunities for joint investigations, promising mutual legal assistance where feasible.
"After the WIRE meeting, we were able to comprehend the various types of trafficking and crimes related to wildlife. Additionally, we successfully disseminated the acquired knowledge within our law enforcement institution, covering both the operational and legal aspects. This facilitated a deeper understanding of the current issues we are facing,” mentioned Cpl. Manuel Flores, from Ecuador’s National Unit of Police for Environmental Protection. The officer added that during the meeting they “exchanged ideas and formulated plans for the prevention of environmental crimes. The international communication proved highly productive, allowing us to gain insights from diverse countries, while also sharing our own experiences.”
On Day 2, participants were organized into three Working Groups, focusing on Investigations, Prosecutions, and Customs. These groups delved deep into their respective domains, exploring innovative strategies and best practices. Facilitated by UNODC, INTERPOL, the World Customs Organization and a speaker from the US Department of Justice, these groups focused on specific case studies, trends and current risk factors.
“WIRE meetings gave me the opportunity to meet prosecutors and experts from other jurisdictions, making future collaboration easy,” said Ms. Chelsy Theresa Emezina-Iyoke, Assistant Chief State Counsel at the Directorate of Public Prosecution of Nigeria. “Wildlife crime steals from us all and with effective collaboration, we shall surmount the menace.”
The final day of the meeting offered an opportunity to summarize the key conclusions of the working groups and learn more about successful operations conducted by INTERPOL, WCO and their Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices.
Lieutenant Colonel Ahmed Alzatouni, representative of the Minister of Interior of the UAE, delivered a closing statement, emphasizing the importance of law enforcement to tackle not only wildlife crime, but all crimes that affect the environment and the climate. He therefore encouraged participating countries to join the International Law Enforcement Initiative for Climate.
Looking ahead, some participants proposed the idea of holding regional bloc meetings during the breaks between the main WIRE sessions. Other participants requested the creation of a working group specifically for prosecutors and investigators, to improve coordination between the respective roles. In general, representatives from participating countries and territories requested UNODC to continue with the organization of the series and to communicate in due course the details and logistics of the 8th edition of the WIRE meeting.
Click here to learn more about UNODC’s Global Programme on Crimes that Affect the Environment