The World Customs Organization (WCO) has launched a critical initiative to combat the growing threat of illegal wildlife trade (IWT) across Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The Inama Project , funded by the U.S. Department of State and Sweden, represents a strategic response to what conservationists describe as an existential threat to global biodiversity.
Capacity Building Through Specialized Training
From April 9-19, 2018, the WCO Regional Training Center in Malacca, Malaysia hosted the project's inaugural "Train-the-Trainer and Certification Workshop." Eleven customs officials from Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam participated in the intensive program focused on species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
The workshop addressed three key areas:
- Awareness Building: Comprehensive analysis of IWT's ecological and economic impacts through case studies
- Technical Skills: Advanced techniques for identifying concealed wildlife products and CITES compliance
- Training Methodology: Developing participants' ability to disseminate knowledge within their home administrations
Creating Regional Standards
Participants who successfully completed the program received provisional certification as WCO IWT specialists, with full certification contingent on subsequent evaluations. These officials will serve as CITES ambassadors within their respective customs agencies, responsible for internal training and public awareness campaigns.
The workshop also produced recommendations for integrating CITES and IWT content into national customs training curricula, which will be presented to senior management in participating countries.
Global Expansion Planned
The Malacca event marks the beginning of a broader initiative, with similar workshops scheduled in Lusaka, Zambia and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso for English, Portuguese, and French-speaking African nations. The project will culminate in coordinated global operations conducted in partnership with INTERPOL and supported by the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC).
Strategic Importance
Conservation experts emphasize four critical outcomes of the Inama Project:
- Enhanced detection and interdiction capabilities at border crossings
- Improved international cooperation through information sharing
- Increased public awareness of wildlife trafficking consequences
- Stronger legal frameworks for prosecuting wildlife crimes
The initiative comes as global wildlife populations face unprecedented pressure from illegal trade networks. Recent UN estimates suggest the illegal wildlife trade generates $7-23 billion annually, ranking among the world's most lucrative criminal enterprises alongside drugs, arms, and human trafficking.