Call for tender ‘Amazon rights in focus: people’s and forest protection’

The Colombian Amazon is at risk. To safeguard this important rainforest, we aim to end forest crime and to improve the territorial rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. For Amazon rights in focus: people’s and forest protection, a programme implemented by FCDS, IUCN NL, Mongabay and Ambiente y Sociedad, we have opened two calls for tender.

We invite both individual consultants and consultancy teams to submit their proposals in English or Spanish by Monday, the 27th of June (11 am CET). We especially encourage consultants from Colombia to apply.

Header photo: Liliana Jauregui, IUCN NL

About the programme

The five-year programme Amazon rights in focus: people’s and forest protection started in 2021, focusing on reducing forest crime and improving its monitoring in Colombia. The main objective is twofold; to expose forest crime and to strengthen capacities of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) and relevant government agencies, so that they can monitor and tackle
forest crime efficiently.

Exposing forest crime will lead to a reduced pressure on forests from local and global markets. In addition, capacity building will improve rights and livelihoods for IPLCs, contributing to sustainable land use. Together, these two pillars will help to achieve a reduction and reversion of tropical forest loss, which in the long-term contributes to biodiversity protection, sustainable development and achieving the 1.5-degree goal.

Deforestation in Colombia

The phenomenon of deforestation in Colombia is multi-faceted and complex. It is often linked to and driven by other illegal activities such as drug trafficking, illegal expansion of the agricultural frontier and money laundering. This situation motivated efforts to update the Colombian Penal Code, including the definition of new criminal offenses, including wildlife trafficking, illicit management of exotic species, deforestation, promotion and financing of deforestation, financing invasion of areas of special ecological importance, illegal appropriation of the nation’s vacant plots and land grabbing. These crimes typified in the Colombian Code penal constitutes the focus of analysis of the Amazon rights in focus: people’s and forest protection programme.

Call 1: Investigating forest crime dynamics

We are looking for a third party to investigate the forest crime dynamics in Colombia. The consultant will collect data on these crimes and their impact. The data will be published in a report and shared with key stakeholders, such as consumer countries, IPLCs, CSOs and local law enforcement agencies.

Deadline for submission: 27 June, 2022 (11 am CET)

Call 2: Investigating illicit financial flows

In the context of the Amazon rights in focus: people’s and forest protection programme we will contract a third party to investigate the illicit financial flows (IFFs) related to environmental crimes in the Colombian Amazon. The consultant will collect data and this will be published on a report and shared with key stakeholders, such as consumer countries, IPLCs, CSOs and local law enforcement agencies.

Deadline for submission: 27 June, 2022 (11 am CET)