Let's pull together to push back against all forms of Transnational Organized Crime
15th November 2024 marks the first ever International Day for the Prevention of and Fight against All Forms of Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) as proclaimed by UN General Assembly resolution 78/267.
Today the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) marks this first international day of its kind with stories of hope in the face of transnational organized crime.
The theme, ‘Organized crime steals, corrupts and kills. It’s time we pull together to push back’ is a rallying cry to raise awareness, foster global collaboration, empower communities, promote knowledge sharing and capacity building, support policy development, and leverage technology for change.
The day also commemorates the victims of organized crime, and at JGI, we recognise that animals, people, and the environment itself are harmed and exploited at the hands of organized crime.
Fuelled by corruption, wildlife trafficking continues to be one of the largest forms of transnational organized crime alongside the trafficking or people, drugs and arms, facilitating the flow of billions of illicit dollars. In fact, over one million species are at risk of extinction fuelled by organized crime. These crimes impact local communities, national economies, public health, security, and whole ecosystems.
Today, we are sharing stories of hope from the field to remind our followers that by working together we can make a difference.
Kabi’s story
Kabi was rescued from the illegal wildlife trade as an infant. He was found terrified and alone at an abandoned campsite, perhaps destined to become a pet. Unable to be released back into the wild, he had to travel a long way to be rehabilitated and cared for at our Tchimpounga sanctuary in the Republic of Congo.
Chimpanzees take around 5 years of infancy to grow strong, mature and learn the skills they will need to thrive as adults, but Kabi was taken by poachers before he could learn from his mother and gain the skills he needs. A surrogate carer at the sanctuary took great care of Kabi and helped him to learn the skills he’d been missing and in time he could be integrated with other chimpanzees in the sanctuary’s nursery group. He made friends and loves to play and learn about the forest.
After the trauma of his early experience at the hands of traffickers, Kabi can now enjoy a safer life in an environment as close to the wild as possible.
*Dr. Goodall and the Jane Goodall Institute do not endorse handling or close proximity to wildlife. This represents a sanctuary context with trained professionals.*
Our multi-faceted work in the Republic of Congo has seen a drop in the number of chimpanzees arriving at the sanctuary from the local area, however this tragic story is repeated around the world as wildlife is illegally trafficked to meet human greed on an astonishing scale, and through organized operations.
The Institute stands united against organized crime alongside our colleagues from around the world working to build a safer, more sustainable world where all communities (human and non-human) can flourish without fear.
Read more about the Institute’s 2024 global advocacy here and learn more about our ForeverWild campaign to end wildlife trafficking here.
Photo credits: JGI/Fernando Turmo
