Armenia Strengthens Cooperation with ICCWC Ahead of COP17

The first meeting of the Interagency Working Group established to coordinate the Republic of Armenia’s cooperation with the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) was held today under the leadership of Hovhannes Martirosyan, Head of the Environmental Protection and Mining Inspection Body of the Republic of Armenia (EPMIB).

The meeting brought together representatives of the Office for Coordination of Inspection Bodies of the Office of the Prime Minister, the Investigative Committee, the State Revenue Committee, the Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Environment, and other relevant state institutions.

Opening the meeting, Hovhannes Martirosyan outlined the Working Group’s key objectives and priorities. He emphasized that its primary purpose is to strengthen interagency coordination, enhance cooperation among relevant state institutions, and ensure the more effective and targeted use of the tools, expertise, and support available through international partnerships to prevent and combat wildlife crime.

The participants discussed the range of support available through ICCWC, including services aimed at preventing and detecting wildlife and forest crime, strengthening law enforcement and enforcement capacities, improving interagency cooperation and information exchange, and enhancing the traceability of wildlife, their parts and derivatives, as well as forest products.

The members of the Working Group also considered potential areas of cooperation and support that best correspond to Armenia’s national needs and priorities. Particular attention was given to strengthening legal and institutional capacities, improving mechanisms for information exchange, and further developing effective interagency coordination.

The establishment of the Working Group marks an important step in strengthening Armenia’s national response to wildlife crime and advancing its international cooperation in this field. It also contributes to the country’s preparations for upcoming international commitments and initiatives, including those within the framework of the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17), to be held in Yerevan in 2026.