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In February 1994, the Interpol Sub-Group on Wildlife Crime was created by various Interpol members representing several CITES signatory countries. The objective of the group was to meet on a regular basis and exchange enforcement ideas and strategies on how Interpol could assist in maintaining and supporting an international network of enforcement contacts with expertise in wildlife crime. Following restructuring in October 1998, the group was re-named the Interpol Wildlife Working Group (hereinafter referred to as IWWG).

At the second meeting of the Interpol Sub-Group in 1994, the group adopted objectives to establish a worldwide network of regional contacts. The group identified particular individuals for this task and drafted other related initiatives such as a mission statement and the utilisation of the Interpol international computerised information network. The implementation of the computerised Interpol database broadened and strengthened support for international and multi-jurisdictional investigations related to wildlife crime.

Over the subsequent four years the IWWG has achieved many successes in the fight against organised crime and the international smuggling of wildlife, including the signing of a memorandum of understanding in 1998 between Interpol and the CITES Secretariat.

The need for a strategic plan

This document would set the direction and scope for the IWWG over the next five years. It reflects the challenges, opportunities and enforcement benefits presented by the IWWG. The plan would address the expectations of member countries and identify enforcement gaps for those countries not actively involved in the group. Perhaps the most important aspect of the plan would be the understanding and recognition of increasingly complex wildlife enforcement activities on a global scale.

This plan will serve as a guide in the group's decision-making process and assist in the planning for future enforcement projects. The plan will solidify and embrace the ever-increasing network of international and regional contacts in the global fight against wildlife crimes.

Evolving challenges

The increase in international wildlife criminal activity, coupled with trends in legal and illegal trade, reveals criminal patterns and practices which indicate that organized crime composed of various cells exists within the illegal wildlife trade.

To better deal with current and future challenges and issues, the IWWG is divided into six regions:

• Africa
• America (North & Central)
• South America
• Asia
• Europe
• Oceania

The worldwide challenges facing wildlife enforcement agencies are:

• ensuring better co-ordination of regional wildlife enforcement initiatives through National Central Bureaus;
  
  
• ensuring that international activities support national objectives;
  
  
• improving communications with developing countries that are the main sources of wildlife for smugglers;
  
  
• ensuring that member countries make use of the Eco-Message system to facilitate the exchange and analysis of information on wildlife crime;
  
  
• ensuring that wildlife enforcement programs support the work of wildlife conservation;
  
  
• ensuring that Working Group activities and/or projects support national and international initiatives;
  
  
• emphasizing the need to collect accurate and detailed data on wildlife criminal activity for future analytical reports and to identify enforcement priorities;
  
  
• making better use of Interpol's expertise and know-how to apprehend and facilitate the prosecution of criminals;
  
  
• providing training and support to developing countries; and
  
  
• supporting a multi-disciplinary, universally accepted enforcement approach to these unique types of crime.

Guiding principles

In strict adherence to the laws and policies of Interpol and individual member countries, the Wildlife Group will:

• maintain a forum in which to discuss and address common wildlife enforcement problems;
  
  
• facilitate and enhance co-ordination, co-operation, communication and the development of partnerships among the CITES enforcement countries and Interpol member countries;
  
  
• restrict its activities to those concerns which are international in nature or which involve illegal activities by the nationals of member countries; and
  
  
• abide by the governing principles of Interpol.

Mandate

To facilitate the sharing of information between CITES and Interpol members in a timely and legal manner for the sole purpose of environmental law enforcement.

Vision

The Wildlife Working Group exists to help conserve, preserve and protect the ever-deteriorating and fragile ecosystem. The group's aim is to co-ordinate the sharing of information on an international scale to optimise the global effort to combat environmental crimes related to wildlife and plants.

Mission

Through Interpol, to be the world's pre-eminent organization in support of CITES listed members, whose mission is detecting, preventing and reporting international wildlife crimes.

The role of Wildlife Working Group

The Wildlife Working Group:

• maintains an international network within Interpol for the exchange of information on wildlife crime;
  
  
• improves domestic operations in each country through co-operation and co-ordination;
  
  
• assists in the training of wildlife enforcement officers in developing countries;
  
  
• encourages the integration of wildlife enforcement activities within broader international wildlife conservation initiatives; and
  
  
• improves international communication with member countries by co-ordinating and leading international meetings with regional representatives.

Wildlife Working Group Objectives

To facilitate the sharing of information between CITES members on a global scale in a timely and legal manner for the sole purpose of environmental law enforcement. The Wildlife Working Group's objectives are:

• to encourage international participation in a registry of global enforcement contacts of individuals possessing expertise in wildlife crime and enforcement;
  
  
• to encourage partnerships to facilitate the delivery of international wildlife enforcement initiatives;
  
  
• to initiate and support joint training and capacity-building initiatives;
  
  
• to co-ordinate and engender a common understanding and philosophy for a worldwide approach to international wildlife enforcement;
  
  
• to establish a global database on criminal activity; and
  
  
• to assist member countries in identifying wildlife enforcement priorities and objectives.

Strategic direction - Interpol Wildlife Working Group

The following strategies are proposed to address the most pressing issues facing the IWWG.

The group's aim is to co-ordinate the sharing of information on an international scale to optimise the global effort to combat environmental crimes directly related to wildlife.

The Interpol Wildlife Working Group will orient its activities to address common global priority issues in wildlife enforcement. To implement this strategy:

1. The IWWG will promote Interpol and its partners within the framework of environmental crime, specifically wildlife crime.
   
   
2. The IWWG will provide ongoing and continuous technical and practical support related to officer training and seminars specific to priority enforcement issues identified through the IWWG.
   
   
3. The IWWG will ensure that enforcement data obtained through the Internet, Eco-Messages and other sources is maintained as a priority for the dissemination of information and intelligence for international enforcement activities.
   
   
4. The IWWG will focus on international priority projects as identified by the group in the global enforcement effort to combat organised wildlife crimes.
   
   
5. The IWWG maintains close ties with Interpol and CITES in order to identify legislative gaps related to the exchange of information and legal pursuit of justice by member countries.
   
   
6. The IWWG will encourage members to strengthen and/or establish regional networks.
   
   
7. The IWWG will continue to rely on the professional reputation of Interpol to facilitate the sharing of information, intelligence and law enforcement strategies.

Interpol commitment

Interpol is the internationally recognized enforcement body capable of sustaining the mandate and objectives of the IWWG. Furthermore, Interpol is the only network capable of ensuring a true and consistent global perspective related to transnational wildlife crime. In order to ensure global networking success, IWWG requires commitment from Interpol in the following critical areas:

1. Interpol to provide and support a dedicated individual for the IWWG;
   
   
2. Interpol to provide the capacity to store and retrieve information in a database;
   
   
3. Interpol to continue to promote and monitor Eco-Messages;
   
   
4. Interpol to provide strategic and operational analysis for the IWWG;
   
   
5. Interpol to support and encourage training to member countries and, in particular, non-wildlife enforcement agencies;
   
   
6. Interpol to maintain an international network of enforcement contacts with expertise in environmental crime; and
   
   
7. Interpol to promote awareness of the IWWG and its enforcement objectives to non-wildlife enforcement agencies.