About Us

  1. Home
  2. /
  3. About Us

Who We Are

Central American and Dominican Republic Wildlife Enforcement Network (CAWEN)

WHAT IS ROAVIS?

CAWEN is a network that provides a cooperation forum, exchange of experiences and strengthening of wildlife law appliance institutions in Central America and Dominican Republic.

CAWEN executes processes and activities at three levels: regional, binational and national. Its operational expression in the countries is the national networks, which are made up of national institutions that in practice guarantee the effective application and compliance with wildlife regulations: security agencies, Border Services, Police, Customs, among others.

Also, the Network seeks to apply policies and strategies in the fight against crime in the matter of national and international trafficking of wild flora and fauna, their parts and derivatives in the region of Central America and the Dominican Republic.

BACKGROUND

In April 2010, in San Salvador, El Salvador, prosecutors and environmental attorneys from Central America and the Dominican Republic met to discuss the region’s problems related to international wildlife trafficking, especially timber species and wildlife protected by International Agreements and the national legislation of their countries. In that meeting, they concluded on the need to create a specialized structure of a regional nature, which would include institutions with a role in the application of the law so that in an organized and coordinated manner they could address this problem.

In April 2010, in San Salvador, El Salvador, prosecutors and environmental attorneys from Central America and the Dominican Republic met to discuss the region’s problems related to international wildlife trafficking, especially timber species and wildlife protected by International Agreements and the national legislation of their countries. In that meeting, they concluded on the need to create a specialized structure of a regional nature, which would include institutions with a role in the application of the law so that in an organized and coordinated manner they could address this problem.

On September 5, 2010, in San José Costa Rica, in the Chamber of the former presidents of the Supreme Court of Justice, Prosecutors and Attorneys General in a solemn act constituted through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Central American Integration System SICA , ROAVIS.

OBJECTIVE

Constitute a forum for cooperation, exchange of experiences, promotion, dissemination and strengthening of the Public Ministry and the Environmental Attorneys to apply policies and strategies in the fight against crime in the matter of national and international trafficking of flora and fauna. wildlife, its parts and derivatives in the region of Central America and the Dominican Republic.

ROAVIS PURPOSES

NETWORK SECRETARIAT AND FOCAL POINTS

The Network is regionally coordinated by a Secretary@, who is appointed every two years by the focal points. He is responsible for coordinating and articulating the activities of the Network and define the planning and search for funds for the implementation of the activities. As well as representing it in golds and international meetings.

The Focal Points are the heads of the environmental prosecutors or prosecutors of the member countries, their role is to coordinate the functional direction between the national law enforcement authorities and organize the activities to combat the trafficking of species.

PARTICIPATING ACTORS

ROAVIS is made up of various authorities responsible for enforcing the law on wildlife Prosecutors and Attorneys, Ministries of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Customs, Police, Armed Forces, and Authorities of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna Silvestre (CITES), also liaising with officials from the International Police (INTERPOL), the CITES Secretariat, and other governmental and non-governmental institutions, to achieve effective application and compliance with wildlife regulations.

Memorandum of Understanding

PARTNERS

Since its foundation and up to date, ROAVIS receives technical and financial support from the United States Department of the Interior (DOI), through its International Technical Assistance Program (ITAP), Department of State (DOS).The ROAVIS maintains relations with TRAFFIC, the International Consortium to Combat Wildlife Crimes (ICCWC), United Nations Office against Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Latin American Network of Environmental Public Ministries, among others.

Download

Roavis App Vida Silvestre

Our App

Vida Silvestre