The event, organized at the Republican Center for Training and Advanced Training of the Customs Committee of Uzbekistan, was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, the State Customs Committee, the Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, ERC "EKOMAKTAB", experts of the international project and others.
The head of the Biodiversity Policy Department of the Ministry of Ecology, Abdurashid Sadikov, in his speech noted that illegal trade in wild animals and plants ranks fourth among the most profitable types of international criminal activity, only slightly behind drug trafficking, human trafficking and weapons.
"In order to reduce illegal trade, the Ministry of Ecology and the Customs Committee are considering the integration of systems to control the passage and registration of permits for the export/import of flora and fauna objects, as well as the application of the most stringent measures to violators detected during the illegal import/ export of objects of the animal and plant world with the entry into the database of such persons for collecting and transmitting information to relevant international services," A. Sadikov said.
During the event, the participants were familiarized with the rules of import/export of wild animals in accordance with the laws of Uzbekistan and international regulations (CITES), the results of the analysis of wild trade and methods of identification of wild animal species. Also, within the framework of the training, practical classes were held on the identification of wild animal species, the identification of falsified CITES certificates, interactivity with crime scenarios and the processes of detention of offenders, as well as awarding participants with certificates of completion of the training.
For information: Uzbekistan is a part of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which it joined in accordance with the Resolution of the Oliy Majlis back in 1997.
About 5,600 species of animals and 30,000 species of plants are protected by CITES, each of which is included in one of the three annexes to the convention, and international trade in them is controlled in accordance with the established level of protection necessary for them.
In our country, the procedure regulating environmental legislation in the field of trade in species of flora and fauna, as well as the passage of licensing procedures in the field of international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora (CITES) are defined by the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On the regulation of the use of biological resources and on the procedure for passing licensing procedures in the field of nature management" ( No. 290 dated 10/20/2014).
