From the U.S. Government Accountability Office, www.gao.gov

Transcript for: Wildlife Trafficking and Human Rights

Description: Wildlife trafficking--the illegal trade and poaching of
wild animals--is a transnational crime that threatens security, economic
prosperity, and conservation efforts, according to State. In recent
years, media reports have alleged that park rangers trained by
U.S.-funded partner organizations overseas have committed a range of
human rights violations, including sexual assault and murder. GAO was
asked to review human rights protections in U.S. efforts to combat
wildlife trafficking. 

Related GAO Work: GAO-24-106553, Wildlife Trafficking: Agencies Should
Improve Efforts to Protect Human Rights in Overseas Activities

Released: August 2024

[ GAO's Kimberly Gianopoulos, Managing Director, International Affairs
and Trade, speaking ]

[ Kimberly Gianopoulos: ]

Wildlife trafficking is the illegal trade and poaching of wild animals.
It's considered a serious transnational crime and has a variety of
implications with regard to issues such as Conservation Efforts,
National Security, Human Rights Violations, and other issues. In the
past, NGOs and media organizations have raised concerns that US dollars
were going to partner organizations that were engaging in some human
rights violations, such as murder and rape.
  
Respecting the rights of indigenous people who live in or near these
conservation areas is a moral imperative. We went to Tanzania & The
Democratic Republic of Congo, where we talked with agency officials
in-country, as well as local indigenous peoples and other organizations
and government officials in order to gather data on the ground and
review what was being done.
  
We found that certain agencies were not making sure that the plans from
the organizations were being submitted on time, and that they included
prevention of human rights violations as part of their overall plans. We
issued nine recommendations to Fish and Wildlife Service, the State
Department, and USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) to
ensure that any reports of human rights violations can be heard and
addressed in a timely way. 

[ Text On-Screen: ]

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For more info, check out our report GAO-24-106553 at: GAO.gov