ANTANANARIVO – The United States helps Madagascar address corruption, wildlife trafficking, and money laundering through the USAID Countering Corruption and Wildlife Trafficking project (CCWT).
In collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, the Independent Bureau of Anti-Corruption (BIANCO), and the National School of Magistrates and Court Clerks (ENMG), CCWT supports training to equip new magistrates with the skills and knowledge needed to identify and appropriately rule on cases of wildlife trafficking and associated corruption and money laundering.
At a June 2 event marking the handover of training materials in Antananarivo, USAID Mission Director Anne N. Williams, congratulated stakeholders for their important contributions to the development of the new modules that educate magistrates on how to approach and prosecute environmental crimes.
“The integration of these training modules into the magistrate’s curriculum will ensure that future judiciary members have the same baseline knowledge to manage the issues of corruption, environmental crimes, and money laundering in Madagascar,” Williams said. “These problems require a coordinated and strategic response, which these modules represent.”
CCWT is implemented by a consortium led by the World Wildlife Fund including TRAFFIC International, Transparency International – Madagascar and Alliance Voahary Gasy, a Malagasy governance NGO.
Corruption remains a serious and widespread challenge in Madagascar. It is heartening to see that there are Malagasy champions and institutions that continue to engage despite the risks and problems they face. This initiative aims to give additional support that they need to address these challenges for the benefit of all Malagasy people.
The United States supports the people of Madagascar like “mpirahalahy mianala” to protect the country’s unparalleled biodiversity and precious natural resources with investments of over $72 million since 2014.