Strengthening cooperation in the fight against environmental crime

From 2 to 4 September, the General Assembly of the Red Jaguar Network in Colombia brought together police representatives from Latin America and Europe, legal environmental authorities and international law enforcement organisations, to strengthen cooperation in the fight against environmental crime. 

Header photo: © AECID

Over three days, a packed agenda covered the evaluation of threats and strategies of the network, the use of international support instruments, the formal inclusion of new members, and the creation of thematic working groups on issues such as wildlife trafficking, illegal mining, illegal logging, and waste-related crimes. Among the discussions, police forces acknowledged the importance of working more closely with NGOs to effectively tackle environmental crimes. They emphasised that to combat sophisticated criminal networks, what is needed in return is a strong network of cooperation and organisations acting together. 

Photo: Liliana Jáuregui presenting at the conference. © Mariel Cabero / IUCN NL

IUCN NL was invited as one of the few NGOs to present its work and share how civil society can contribute to this initiative. Our director, Liliana Jáuregui, highlighted IUCN NL’s experience in addressing environmental crime and how our networks and critical perspective can strengthen Red Jaguar’s efforts. 

Participants included nature protection units and national focal points from across Latin America and the Caribbean, representing Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Venezuela.