Namibia is stepping up efforts to combat wildlife trafficking, which brought together conservation leaders and US government officials at a high-level Counter Wildlife Trafficking Roundtable recently held at the US Embassy.
Wildlife trafficking—including the illegal trade in rhino horn, elephant ivory, and pangolin scales—is a transnational criminal enterprise that threatens security, undermines the rule of law, fuels corruption, weakens institutions, and distorts legitimate trade and investment.
“Wildlife trafficking operates like any other organised crime enterprise: it relies on logistics networks, money laundering channels, and cross-border coordination. It must be met with seriousness and prosecutorial focus,” said US Ambassador John Giordano, drawing on his experience as a former United States Attorney. “I have seen firsthand how criminal networks try to exploit gaps in enforcement and governance.”
According to a statement by the US Embassy, since 2016, the United States has contributed over US$8.7 million to support Namibia’s counter-trafficking efforts, including strengthening investigative capacity, supporting the Blue Rhino Task Team, enhancing forensic tools at the Wood Identification and Screening Centre, and developing specialised environmental crime courts. These initiatives have led to increased high-profile wildlife convictions and reduced poaching of elephants and rhinos.
Giordano stressed that effective counter-wildlife trafficking requires the rule of law, prosecutorial integrity, and regional cooperation.
“Environmental crime undermines economic security,” he said. “Namibia’s conservation success story is a strategic asset, not just for biodiversity, but for tourism, investment, and long-term economic resilience.”
The roundtable focused on progress in arrests and convictions, regional coordination, investigative capacity-building, and the links between wildlife trafficking and other transnational crimes, including narcotics and human trafficking.
“Where laws are enforced, and criminals are prosecuted, legitimate business grows,” Ambassador Giordano added. “Where the rule of law is credible, both conservation and capital can thrive.”
The United States reaffirmed its commitment to partnering with Namibia to strengthen law enforcement cooperation, criminal justice institutions, investigative tools, and efforts to disrupt transnational trafficking networks.
