The Alliance for Wildlife and Forests concluded its actions by leaving a legacy of achievements in preventing wildlife and timber trafficking

The Alliance for Wildlife and Forests concluded its actions by leaving a legacy of achievements in preventing wildlife and timber trafficking

December 29, 2023 14:07

On December 13, 2023, in Lima, Peru, WCS held the closing event of the regional project "Alliance for Wildlife and Forests," which was implemented from 2019 to 2023, in a joint effort with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and the financial support of the European Union.

  • After five years of work in the Andean-Amazon countries, the regional project "Alliance for Wildlife and Forests" ended its activities.
  • The main results and accomplishments of the joint efforts of WCS and WWF, with the support of the European Union, to combat wildlife trafficking and promote timber of legal origin in the region were delivered.
  • The progress in engaging civil society to strengthen compliance with the law was highlighted, as well as cooperation with and between the authorities of the Andes-Amazon region.
  • Government authorities and civil society, among the main allies of the project, shared their experiences and learnings.
     

 

This event marked the completion of five years of work on a regional initiative that has been crucial in the combat of wildlife trafficking and in the promotion of legally sourced timber, which arose precisely in the face of the growing threats identified against biological and cultural diversity in the Andean-Amazonian countries, resulting from the illegal and unsustainable extraction of wildlife and timber.

 

The main results and achievements obtained during the project’s implementation were presented at the event. A dialogue was generated about the lessons learned from the process with those who were the allied organizations during the life of the Alliance in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and the tri-border with Brazil (Brazil-Colombia-Peru and Bolivia-Brazil-Peru).

 

Representatives from different allied sectors attended the event, such as public institutions, authorities in charge of law enforcement and compliance, civil society organizations, representatives of the Academia, Indigenous People, and private companies. Among them are the National Forestry and Wildlife Service of Peru (SERFOR), the Corporation for the Sustainable Development of the Southern Amazon of Colombia (Corpoamazonia), the Regional Management of Forestry and Wildlife Development of Loreto-Peru, the CITE Forestal Maynas, the Native Federation of the Madre de Dios River and Tributaries of Peru (FENAMAD), the National Police of Ecuador, the Forest Police and Environmental Preservation (POFOMA) of Bolivia; the University San Francisco de Quito of Ecuador; private transportation companies such as the Associated International Border Cooperative (CIFA) of Peru. Cooperation agencies such as USAID, GIZ, and the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP), among others, also accompanied us.

 

 

From left to right: Jerome Poussielgue, Head of Cooperation of the European Union Delegation in Peru;

Luis Gonzales-Zúñiga, Executive Director of SERFOR; José Gómez, Regional Director Andes, Amazon, and Orinoco of WCS;

and Kurt Holle, Director of WWF in Peru.

 

 

The inauguration of the event was carried out by Jerome Poussielgue, Head of Cooperation of the European Union Delegation in Peru; Luis Gonzales-Zúñiga, Executive director of SERFOR; José Gómez, Regional Director Andes, Amazon and Orinoco of WCS; and Kurt Holle, Director of WWF in Peru, who offered inspiring words, emphasizing the need to continue working to prevent and respond to these environmental crimes, but also highlighted the joint commitment and achievements obtained throughout the five years of project work.

 

 

About the results

 

 

The photo features Yovana Murillo, Manager of the Counter Wildlife Trafficking program of

the Andes, Amazon, and Orinoco region of WCS and Director of the Alliance.

 

 

Yovana Murillo, Director of the Alliance for Wildlife and Forests of WCS, delivered a speech on the achievements obtained in the five years of the project. Among others, the progress in the involvement of civil society to strengthen law enforcement was highlighted, as well as cooperation with and between the authorities of the Andes-Amazon region to combat wildlife and timber trafficking. 


Some of the mentioned accomplishments include more than nine regional reports on emerging trends that allowed us to improve the understanding of the dynamics of the legal and illegal trade in wildlife and timber in the Andean-Amazonian countries. In addition, ten collaboration mechanisms were produced or promoted to improve law enforcement and control and surveillance systems to address wildlife trafficking and the promotion of legally sourced timber, such as binational protocols or border work plans and the use of up to six tools, such as SMART, to monitoring and control of wildlife, or the Xylotron, a tool for the automatic identification of timber species based on artificial intelligence techniques.
Murillo also shared the importance of the region's participation in international forums to discuss wildlife trafficking and the strengthening of the capacities of more than 1,100 members of government agencies and civil society who improved their conservation skills and the fight against this crime.

 

The participation of civil society was a crucial aspect in this project, ensuring that more than 6.5 million people received information through digital campaigns and other channels, increasing their knowledge and awareness to prevent environmental crimes as well as the more than 370 members of 15 indigenous and rural community organizations from Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru who have strengthened their capacities in technical, governance, management, and communication aspects.

 

 

In the voices of our allies

 

During the closing event of the regional project, the allies were given an opportunity to share their experiences. The institutions and individuals involved in the Alliance's activities shared their testimonies through two videos presented, which introduced us to the success stories and people who played key roles in sustainable forest development and promoting timber of legal origin in Peru and Bolivia.

 

The event also featured testimonies from Ecuadorian authorities who combat wildlife trafficking, providing valuable insights into the importance of capacity building, and the Colombian representatives shared their experiences working with the Mocagua community and other organizations in the Amazon region to strengthen the combat of wildlife trafficking. Those stories and experiences highlighted the project's impact in different areas and with several individuals and organizations.

 

 

 

 

 

During the event, a panel discussion on "What we have learned" was moderated by Sebastián Valdivieso, director of WCS Ecuador. The discussion included the participation of various allied organizations: Lieutenant Juan Huanca, Head of the National Directorate of the POFOMA of Bolivia; Mrs. Maryory Pantevis, Director of the Territorial Amazonas of Corpoamazonia; Mr. Hugo Echeverría, Environmental lawyer and Professor at the San Francisco University of Quito; Engineer Henri Silva, a forestry specialist from CITE Forestal Maynas of Peru; Mrs. Cecilia Requejo, Legal representative of the CIFA company of Peru; and Mr. Pepe Torres Mayorga, Coordinator of the FENAMAD Indigenous Forestry Oversight Office. They shared their experiences and main learnings in the combat of wildlife trafficking and the promotion of legally sourced timber within the framework of the project.

 


Following the discussion, the event was complemented by the virtual participation of Javier Samper, director of the EL PAcCTO 2.0 Program. He emphasized the successful accomplishments of the Alliance and shared his thoughts on the possibilities of continuing actions in combatting wildlife trafficking, considering the progress made in the region over the past five years. His contribution aimed to strengthen regional initiatives, providing valuable insight on how to advance conservation efforts.

 


Mariana Montoya, Director of WCS Peru, and Tatiana García, Representative of the European Union Delegation in Peru, shared their reflections at the end of the event. They emphasized the importance of collaboration and the project's achievements while thanking the implementers and allies. García pointed out that completing project activities does not mean the end of the work; instead, all collaborative initiatives serve as the foundation for continuing to work in the future.

 

 

 

From left to right: Yovana Murillo, from WCS, Director of the Alliance;

Tatiana García, from the European Union Delegation in Peru;

and Alonso Córdova, from WWF, Deputy Director of the Alliance.

 

 

The event finished with an invitation to a cocktail party featuring a photographic exhibition and showcasing Alliance products, creating a space for sharing impressions and ideas.

 

 

 

About the Alliance for Wildlife and Forests


The Alliance for Wildlife and Forests is a regional action promoted by the European Union and implemented by WCS and WWF that seeks to combat wildlife and timber trafficking, through the commitment of civil society in strengthening the application of the law and cooperation with and between the authorities of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and tri-border areas with Brazil. 


For media contact:


Dora Arevalo. Senior Communications Specialist – AAO Wildlife Anti-Trafficking Program. wcs. darevalo@wcs.org +(57) 3164783045.

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