WORKSHOP ON STRENGTHENING OF THE NATIONAL TASK FORCE ON WILDLIFE CRIME IN UGANDA, 3RD – 5TH FEBRUARY 2020
Lusaka Agreement Task Force (LATF) in collaboration with the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the Grace Farms Foundation will convene a workshop on Strengthening of the National Task Force on Wildlife Crime in Uganda. The workshop will be held from 3 – 5 February 2020 at Golden Tulip Hotel in Kampala, Uganda.
The key theme of the workshop will be to strengthen the recently established National Task Force on wildlife crime in Uganda and contribute to operationalizing it. The Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities of the Republic of Uganda will give a key note address at the event where he hill outline practical mechanism deployed by Uganda in the fight against wildlife crime.
The problem of wildlife crime and associated trafficking is a challenge for governments, international institutions and civil society alike. Wildlife crime is arguably a menace capable of bringing wildlife populations to the brink of extinction. Today it is ranked the 4th largest global illicit trade in the world after drugs, human trafficking and illicit small arms.
It is for this purpose that Lusaka Agreement Task Force in collaboration with the Grace Farms Foundation wishes to complement the efforts by Uganda in fighting wildlife crime through the strengthening of the recently established National Task Force on Wildlife Crime in Uganda. LATF believes that modern approaches, strong policies, political will and zero tolerance to corruption are key to fighting poaching and associated wildlife trafficking. As one of the highlights of the workshop, members of the Tanzania National Anti-poaching Task Force will share Tanzania’s success story against poaching and wildlife trafficking as well as offer valuable lessons to the newly created Uganda’s Task Force on wildlife crime. The three-day multi-agency workshop will bring together 30 key law enforcement officers drawn from the various agencies represented under the National Task Force on Wildlife Crime in Uganda, Lusaka Agreement Task Force, National Anti-poaching Task Force of Tanzania and the Grace Farms Foundation. Other organisations include the United States Homeland Security Investigations and USAID and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Uganda country offices.