FIATA and TRAFFIC Launch Free Digital Course on Prevention of Wildlife Trafficking

Press Release
4 October 2019

During the launch event at the FIATA World Congress, TRAFFIC and FIATA signed an MoU to continue joint efforts combatting illegal wildlife trade. 

Cape Town, 4th October 2019 — FIATA, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations, and TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, launched a new digital course “Prevention of Wildlife Trafficking” during the FIATA World Congress 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa today. 

Recognising that wildlife traffickers exploit the interconnected freight sector, the three-hour digital course provides freight forwarders with essential information to detect, respond to, and report instances of wildlife trafficking. The course is available, free of charge through the FIATA Logistics Academy and was developed in partnership with TRAFFIC with support from USAID through the Wildlife Trafficking Response Assessment and Priority Setting (Wildlife TRAPS) Project. 

At the launch event, TRAFFIC and FIATA also signed a memorandum of understanding to advance awareness-raising and capacity-building efforts for freight forwarders to combat illegal wildlife trade. 

“Freight forwarders have the ability to be game-changers in preventing the exploitation of their businesses by wildlife traffickers. Awareness and training are critical and our new digital course will make it easy for freight forwarders to become part of the solution,” said Issa Baluch, FIATA Logistics Academy.  

“Wildlife trafficking is a global crisis that impacts the integrity of transport supply chains. We’re thrilled that this new course will empower freight forwarders around the world to easily and freely access critical information on the prevention of illegal wildlife trade,” said Monica Zavagli of TRAFFIC. 

The illegal trade of wildlife is the fourth largest black market in the world and impacts more than 7,000 species of animals and plants. Wildlife trafficking pushes species towards extinction, robs countries of their natural resources, and impacts local revenues. These crimes fuel corruption and enrich criminal organisations too. 

The transportation sector is increasingly recognising the need to take action against wildlife trafficking. In 2017, FIATA included wildlife trafficking in the minimum standards for the FIATA Diploma in International Freight Forwarding. 

TRAFFIC was available throughout the FIATA World Congress 2019 at their exhibition booth to answer questions about the new FIATA/TRAFFIC course and how freight forwarders can help to stop wildlife trafficking. The course has been launched in English, but will shortly become available in other languages, including Chinese, Spanish, and French. 

To enroll go to: www.fiatalearning.com

About USAID

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is responsible for the majority of overseas development assistance from the United States Government and works to end extreme poverty and promote resilient, democratic societies while advancing security and prosperity for America and the world. 

About TRAFFIC

TRAFFIC is a leading non-governmental organisation working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development whose mission is to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature. More information at www.traffic.org

About Wildlife TRAPS

The USAID-funded Wildlife Trafficking, Response, Assessment and Priority Setting (Wildlife TRAPS) Project is an initiative that is designed to secure a transformation in the level of co-operation between an international community of stakeholders who are impacted by illegal wildlife trade between Africa and Asia. The project is designed to increase understanding of the true character and scale of the response required, to set priorities, identify intervention points, and test non-traditional approaches with project partners.

 

Media Contact:

Stephen Morris, Acting Director General

Email: [email protected] 

www.fiata.com

 

About FIATA

FIATA, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations, was founded in Vienna, Austria on May 31st 1926.  It is a non-governmental organisation that today represents an industry covering approximately 40,000 forwarding and logistics firms, employing around 10 million people in some 160 countries. FIATA has consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations (inter alia ECE, ESCAP, ESCWA, etc.), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) as well as many other UN related bodies, e.g. the World Bank. It is recognised as representing the freight forwarding industry by many other governmental organisations, governmental authorities, private international organisations in the field of transport and logistics, such as the European Commission (through CLECAT), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Union of Railways (UIC), the International Road Transport Union (IRU), the World Customs Organization (WCO), the World Trade Organization (WTO), etc.

 

4 October 2019