Wildlife Trade Specialists
Elephant ivory souvenir seized by UK Border Force © WWF-UK / James Morgan
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connecting national enforcement agencies across Europe and Africa
The European Union, Africa, and Southern African Development Community Trade in Wildlife Information eXchange's (EU-TWIX, AFRICA-TWIX and SADC-TWIX) are online tools developed to facilitate information exchange and international co-operation between law enforcement agencies across Europe and Central Africa.
An ongoing challenge facing law enforcement is ensuring smooth and timely communication between nations when dealing with transnational wildlife smuggling networks. The TWIX online platform is an online tool available to enforcement and management officials responsible for the implementation of international wildlife trade and CITES regulations, helping connect officials across borders and allow them to rapidly share information and expertise.
~2,000
enforcement and management officials in the Europe and Africa are currently connected
Facilitating regular communication between international enforcement agencies has proven highly effective in helping to disrupt transnational smuggling networks
Vinciane Sacré, EU-TWIX Project Manager
the TWIXs
There are currently three TWIX platforms in operation, EU-TWIX, AFRICA-TWIX, and SADC-TWIX. A fourth iteration for Eastern Africa is currently in development.
Each platform consists of two main components; a centralised website which holds records on national, regional and international wildlife seizures, and a mailing list which allows enforcement officials to communicate, seek assistance and alert one another about relevant enforcement actions.
TWIX websites also contain various resources such as identification guides, training materials and useful directories including listings for animal rescue centres for seized specimens
The TWIX online dashboard, enabling users to navigate to the database, identification guides, rescue centre directories and more
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EU-TWIX
National law enforcement agencies in the European Union (EU) play a crucial role in the efficient enforcement of EU Wildlife Trade Regulations through the efforts of Customs, police and other inspection services in combating illegal wildlife trade into and from the EU, as well as within the single market of its 28 Member States.
The EU-TWIX was the first wildlife trade information exchange to be launched by TRAFFIC.Currently, officials from all EU Member States and eleven neighbouring countries participate in the platform, with over 1,200 enforcement officials connected and a database which holds information on over 60,000 wildlife seizures. The EU is one of the largest and most diverse markets for wildlife and wildlife products, making co-operation between EU Member States and neighbouring countries essential in the fight against illegal wildlife trade.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to the European Commission and the following governments for their generous support towards EU-TWIX.
Officials inspect a shipment of dried shark fins at Brussels airport. Photo: Pol Meuleneire, GAD Zaventem
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an overview on EU-TWIX
The success of EU-TWIX largely depends on the regular input of information relating to new seizures and offences by national law enforcement agencies.
Given that the success of international efforts to detect and prosecute wildlife trafficking largely depends on the efficiency of these enforcement agencies, strengthening mechanisms by which enforcement officers can exchange information and advice is thus an invaluable means of combating wildlife crime. Find out more about our success and approaches in this Analysis of EU-TWIX seizure data for the period 2007-2011 and in the EU-TWIX information brochure.
AFRICA-TWIX
AFRICA-TWIX has already proven to be instrumental in facilitating international co-operation between law enforcement agencies, in certain cases helping to trigger investigations leading to the arrests and prosecutions of traffickers.
Africa is a continent of major concern with regards to the sourcing of illegal wildlife products. Consumer demand for illicit wildlife is driving the highest rate of poaching levels ever seen, making connecting enforcement officials within the continent, and beyond, with one another essential. AFRICA-TWIX enables more than just connectivity, it also provides officers with the latest resources and identification guides to assist them with wildlife enforcement related cases.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to the following organisations for their generous support towards AFRICA-TWIX.
A Ground Pangolin, a species regularly trafficked from Africa © Photoshot License Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo
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an overview of AFRICA-TWIX
Countries participating are currently limited to Central Africa, and include Cameroon, Gabon, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic. Over 110 officials are connected and the database currently holds more than 200 records concerning wildlife enforcement.
View or download our project leaflet to find out more about key successes, how to join and how it all works.
SADC-TWIX
The mandate for the establishment of the Southern African Development Community–Trade in Wildlife Information eXchange (SADC-TWIX) emanates from the SADC Law Enforcement and Anti-Poaching (LEAP) Strategy that aims at reducing the level of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife and enhancing law enforcement capacity in the SADC Region by 2021. The LEAP strategy explicitly identifies the establishment of the TWIX system as one of its key deliverables.
The implementation of SADC-TWIX received financial support from the “Partnership against Poaching and Illegal Wildlife Trade (Ivory and Rhino-Horn) in Africa and Asia”, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), and WWF France.
an overview of SADC-TWIX
The SADC-TWIX has been operational since the 21st of May 2019 and currently connects around 450 officials from 11 SADC Member States including Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia and has been developed following the EU-TWIX and AFRICA-TWIX models.
View or download our project leaflet to find out more about key successes, how to join and how it all works.
Eastern Africa-TWIX
Overview and scope
An Eastern Africa-TWIX platform is currently in the development stages, and will initially be piloted in three countries: Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, drawing on experiences from the currently three operational and successful TWIX systems.
Support for the establishment of a TWIX system for Eastern Africa emanates within the East African Community (EAC) strategy to combat poaching and illegal trade and trafficking of wildlife and wildlife products. The strategy explicitly identifies the establishment of the Eastern Africa-TWIX system as one of its key deliverables on strategic objectives focusing on law enforcement capacity, development issues, and strengthening regional collaboration efforts, respectively.
latest news related to the TWIX's
explore the latest successes and materials related to the Trade in Wildlife Information eXchanges
AFRICA-TWIX membership and uptake grows – positive steps for enforcement in COMIFAC Countries
how to access the TWIX platforms
The EU-TWIX and AFRICA-TWIX platforms are available to use right now.
Eligibe parties must be operating within the EU Member States and neighbouring countries or within one of the five Central African nations mentioned above within one of the following roles: Customs, CITES Management Authorities, wildlife and forestry services, police, prosecutors, criminal justice departments or international organisations such as EUROPOL, INTERPOL or the World Customs Organization.
Get in touch to find out more, fill in our general contact form here or write to Enable JavaScript to view protected content. or Enable JavaScript to view protected content..
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