The U.S. government reaffirms its commitment to fight wildlife trafficking and corruption at the second Combating Wildlife Trafficking National Forum held in Antananarivo on August 13-14, 2024.

The forum was hosted by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Transparency International – Madagascar Initiative (TI-MG) with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Countering Corruption and Wildlife Trafficking (CCWT) activity. The event brought together the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, the Minister of Justice, Charge d’affaires for the U.S. Embassy to Madagascar and the Comoros, anti-corruption agencies, and other key stakeholders to discuss achievements and key issues such as the protection of environmental whistleblowers, best practices for utilizing wildlife trafficking data, and other sustainable approaches to fighting wildlife and natural resource trafficking and corruption in Madagascar.

Charge d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy to Madagascar, Stephanie Arnold, emphasized the importance of both domestic and international collaboration during her remarks at the forum. “Together, we can create a sustainable future for Madagascar’s natural resources,” she stated. “By combining our efforts, sharing our knowledge, and committing to continuous improvement, we will protect Madagascar’s unique wildlife and natural heritage for generations to come.”

The USAID CCWT activity, which is implemented by a consortium including WWF, TI-MG and Alliance Voahary Gasy, hosted the first national forum in March 2022. This initial forum introduced the activity and its objectives, the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, and discussed challenges to fighting wildlife and natural resource trafficking and associated corruption.

Since 2022, the USAID CCWT activity has championed several initiatives that achieved significant results. CCWT’s impacts include strengthening Madagascar’s ability to combat illicit trafficking by training 350 Government of Madagascar officials in laws, procedures, and special investigation techniques for anti-corruption, international wildlife trafficking, illicit financial flows, and countering transnational organized crime.

Additionally, USAID CCWT trained 51 community volunteer informants in key regions where natural resource trafficking is prevalent, leading to the reporting and apprehension of tortoise traffickers in the south. The USAID CCWT activity will close in September of this year.

The U.S. government, through USAID, is investing $10 million in three current activities to address domestic and international wildlife trafficking, including the modernization of customs procedures, and strengthening environmental governance, law enforcement, and the judiciary through the USAID Mizana and CCWT activities.

Since 1984, the U.S. government has committed over $300 million in programs that combat wildlife and precious hardwood trafficking, strengthen natural resource governance, improve forest and marine management, and partner with the private sector to increase economic opportunities for local communities in Madagascar. This year is the 40th anniversary of USAID’s partnership with Madagascar, a significant milestone in our development journey.