The U.S. authorities reaffirms its dedication to struggle wildlife trafficking and corruption on the second Combating Wildlife Trafficking Nationwide Discussion board held in Antananarivo on August 13-14, 2024.
The discussion board was hosted by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Transparency Worldwide – Madagascar Initiative (TI-MG) with assist from the USA Company for Worldwide Growth (USAID) Countering Corruption and Wildlife Trafficking (CCWT) exercise. The occasion introduced collectively the Minister of Surroundings and Sustainable Growth, the Minister of Justice, Cost d’affaires for the U.S. Embassy to Madagascar and the Comoros, anti-corruption businesses, and different key stakeholders to debate achievements and key points such because the safety of environmental whistleblowers, finest practices for using wildlife trafficking information, and different sustainable approaches to preventing wildlife and pure useful resource trafficking and corruption in Madagascar.
Cost d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy to Madagascar, Stephanie Arnold, emphasised the significance of each home and worldwide collaboration throughout her remarks on the discussion board. “Collectively, we are able to create a sustainable future for Madagascar’s pure sources,” she acknowledged. “By combining our efforts, sharing our data, and committing to steady enchancment, we are going to defend Madagascar’s distinctive wildlife and pure heritage for generations to come back.”
The USAID CCWT exercise, which is carried out by a consortium together with WWF, TI-MG and Alliance Voahary Gasy, hosted the primary nationwide discussion board in March 2022. This preliminary discussion board launched the exercise and its targets, the roles and obligations of stakeholders, and mentioned challenges to preventing wildlife and pure useful resource trafficking and related corruption.
Since 2022, the USAID CCWT exercise has championed a number of initiatives that achieved vital outcomes. CCWT’s impacts embody strengthening Madagascar’s skill to fight illicit trafficking by coaching 350 Authorities of Madagascar officers in legal guidelines, procedures, and particular investigation methods for anti-corruption, worldwide wildlife trafficking, illicit monetary flows, and countering transnational organized crime.
Moreover, USAID CCWT skilled 51 neighborhood volunteer informants in key areas the place pure useful resource trafficking is prevalent, resulting in the reporting and apprehension of tortoise traffickers within the south. The USAID CCWT exercise will shut in September of this yr.
The U.S. authorities, by way of USAID, is investing $10 million in three present actions to deal with home and worldwide wildlife trafficking, together with the modernization of customs procedures, and strengthening environmental governance, legislation enforcement, and the judiciary by way of the USAID Mizana and CCWT actions.
Since 1984, the U.S. authorities has dedicated over $300 million in applications that fight wildlife and valuable hardwood trafficking, strengthen pure useful resource governance, enhance forest and marine administration, and accomplice with the personal sector to extend financial alternatives for native communities in Madagascar. This yr is the fortieth anniversary of USAID’s partnership with Madagascar, a major milestone in our growth journey.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy in Madagascar.