Brasília, August 20, 2024 - With the main objective of identifying opportunities for integration among different institutions and fostering joint actions to combat illegal deforestation and timber trafficking in the Brazilian Amazon, UNODC Brazil held the 2nd edition of the Pará-Amazonas Interstate Dialogue to Combat Forest Crimes in Salinópolis (PA) on August 13 and 14.
The meeting was held as part of the project “Strengthening the Criminal Justice System Response to Forest Crimes” (CRIMFLO) and was attended by 15 federal and state institutions from the states of Amazonas, Pará and Rondônia.
The focus of this year's discussions was institutional cooperation in the region, a theme recommended in the 1st edition of the Pará-Amazonas Interstate Dialogue 2023, held in Amazonas. The previous edition also generated other activities over the past year, such as the creation of a discussion group to promote synergy between federal actors, as well as training and technical support to improve workflows and methodologies in various institutions.
In line with the recommendations of the last Interstate Dialogue, new actors were invited to take part in the event, promoting the sharing of good practices and lessons learned in inter-institutional cooperation.
During the two days of meetings and group discussions, state and federal government institutions were able to identify challenges and propose solutions for better joint action, to overcome common obstacles faced by public institutions in the fight against forest crimes.
A new edition of the Dialogue is planned for 2025, considering the positive results of the initiative in building trust between the players and deepening understanding of effective ways of acting and identifying priorities, to create a cooperative justice system capable of facing the challenges posed by the reality of the Amazon.
CRIMFLO - The project “Strengthening the Criminal Justice System Response to Forest Crimes”, supported by the US Department of State's International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Office (INL), aims to work in close cooperation with government institutions, security forces and the judiciary at federal and state level, to strengthen the fight against illegal deforestation and timber trafficking. In an approach that goes from the scene of the crime to the courtroom, CRIMFLO provides technical assistance and promotes cross-border, inter-regional and inter-agency cooperation.
Find out more about UNODC's work on the subject here
