INL CWT NOFO (FINAL) 5-31-2024.pdf

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.U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Revised May 31, 2024

Announcement Type: Request for Federal Assistance Award Applications

Funding Opportunity Title:

Countering Wildlife Trafficking and Other Natural Resource Crime in Africa, Asia, and Latin America

Funding Opportunity Number: DFOP0014009

Program: Countering Wildlife Trafficking

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:

19.705 - Transnational Crime

Total Funding Available: $30,000,000 U.S. Dollars

Funding Source: Domestic-Funds

Application Ceiling:

Applicants can refer to the specific goals on page 5 to see the maximum request for their proposal.

Application Floor:

Applicants can refer to the specific goals on page 5 to see the maximum request for their proposal.

Anticipated Number of Awards: 16-30 awards

Initial Project Implementation Length: 24 months unless otherwise specified

Estimated Project Start Date: October 2024

NOFO Issuance Date: April 22, 2024

Deadline for Submission of Questions: May 22, 2024 by 11:59 PM EST via email

Deadline for Submission of Applications:

July 1, 2024 by 11:59 PM EST via www.grants.gov

Assistance Type: Grant

Applicant Types and Eligibility Categories:

Organizations only.

Refer to Section C: Eligibility Information for more information.

http://www.grants.gov/

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INL Points of Contact:

Najar Starr (StarrND@state.gov) - GO Wildlife@state.gov

BUREAU MISSION

The mission of the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is to keep Americans safe by countering crime, illegal drugs, and instability abroad. The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is at the forefront of responding to these challenges, uniting these overarching themes through our foreign assistance programs, diplomatic engagement, and policy coordination.

INL’s foreign assistance programs are essential to advancing U.S. policy objectives. INL programs advance the following strategic goals:

1. Disrupt and reduce illicit drug markets and transnational crime to protect American lives and U.S. national security.

2. Combat corruption and illicit financing to strengthen democratic institutions, advance rule of law, and reduce transnational crime and its enablers.

3. Strengthen criminal justice systems to support stable, rights respecting partners.

mailto:Wildlife@state.gov

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

F. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

APPENDIX A: PERFORMANCE MONITORING PLAN

APPENDIX B: PROJECT RISK ANALYSIS

APPENDIX C: BUDGET AND BUDGET NARRATIVE

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A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Overview: The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the U.S.

Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out projects to counter wildlife and timber trafficking in Africa, Asia and Latin America, with an aim to build upon partner countries’ civilian law enforcement capacities and capabilities by: (1) Increasing the disruption and interdiction of illicit trade, (2) Strengthening investigative and enforcement functions, (3) Enhancing prosecutorial and judicial capacity, and (4) Developing and implementing cross-border and regional law enforcement coordination and information sharing.

Priority Region/Countries: Africa, Asia, Latin America

Problem Statement: Wildlife trafficking and natural resource crimes are lucrative forms of transnational organized crime (TOC) that have decimated populations of species, such as elephants, rhinos, pangolins, and more. Wildlife trafficking and natural resource crimes fuel corruption, threaten the rule of law and peace and security, spread disease, and destabilize communities that depend on wildlife for biodiversity and eco-tourism revenues. Criminal organizations are increasingly involved in this illicit trade, especially the illegal movement of these commodities from source countries to demand countries, such as the movement of ivory from Africa to Asia.

Traffickers exploit porous borders and weak institutions to profit from trading in these commodities as they are transported through multilevel illicit networks of criminal intermediaries and government officials.

Program Vision: This program seeks to enhance law enforcement and justice sector efforts to counter wildlife and timber trafficking, ultimately helping to disrupt trafficking operations and removing opportunities for criminal organizations to profit from illicit proceeds derived from these illegal trades.

Project Goal(s) and Objectives: To strengthen national criminal justice institutions and regional or international coordination in Africa, Asia, and Latin America by supporting successful enforcement, investigative, and prosecutorial functions for wildlife and other natural resource crime. Proposed projects should be designed to strengthen the capacity of organizations that combat natural resource crime and actors in countries most affected by wildlife trafficking and other natural resource crime in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Strategic goals and objectives are listed below with associated award ceilings and floors. Applicants should address only one strategic goal per application but may address one or more objectives.

Applicants may submit multiple applications. Applications that address more than one objective will not be given preference over ones that address only one – instead applications will be evaluated on their merit and anticipated impact. Where single countries are listed, each application may encompass any or all the objectives listed for that country and may include cross-border activities with neighboring countries where appropriate.

Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative solutions within the scope of the objectives, but activities should be specific and appropriate to the country and/or regional context. Proposals must include one or more of the target regions listed.

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INL is interested in supporting programs that will deliver long-term institutional change to the challenges of the target countries and have the support of government partners within the criminal justice sector. INL encourages proposals that present a long-term vision and strategically selected activities based on needs, the organization’s comparative advantage and expertise, and the funding landscape of other key stakeholders. Applicants should propose sustainable solutions that impact the root issue and will achieve improved practices beyond the lifetime of the agreement. Applicants are encouraged to provide a summary of their organizational strategic goals in the target country, and how the proposal supports that plan. Applications will also be prioritized if they demonstrate awareness and synergies with other natural resource crime programs in the country(ies), or that bring together a consortium of partners to implement program activities in a strategic and coordinated way.

Applications will be judged and selected on their ability to achieve the strategic goals and objectives and have host country buy-in and commitment to implement the proposed activities. Letters of support from the host government are required, and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) between the applicant and the host government lead agency are preferred. INL will prioritize proposals with the highest demonstrated government buy-in and support.

Africa

1. Zimbabwe Award Ceiling: $1,000,000 Award floor: $300,000 Anticipated number of Awards: 1-3

Countries/Areas: Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe faces significant challenges in combating wildlife trafficking due to insufficient law enforcement resources, a lack of specialized training, and corruption within government agencies, which all hinder the effective implementation of measures to prevent such crimes.

The Matusadona National Park is particularly vulnerable to transnational organized criminal networks who benefit from Zimbabwe’s weak enforcement capabilities and use Lake Kariba to traffic high-value wildlife products into Zambia. Additionally, Zimbabwe’s isolation within the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Areas has left if more vulnerable than its neighbors to poaching threats.

Goal 1: Zimbabwe law enforcement is properly trained and equipped to better interdict, investigate, and combat wildlife trafficking in national parks and protected areas.

Objective 1.1: Increase the ability of enforcement authorities to coordinate park-level responses to wildlife trafficking and poaching.

Objective 1.2: Build investigative and enforcement functions to target the transit of wildlife products.

Objective 1.3: Strengthen cross-border cooperation and interdiction efforts between Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia and/or Namibia.

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2. South Africa

Award floor: $300,000 Anticipated number of Awards: 1-6

Countries/Areas: South Africa

South Africa (particularly Kruger National Park) has been a primary target for poachers since the poaching crisis began in 2008, due to its large population of rhinos, expansive size, and shared border with Mozambique. Poachers are also often involved in other violent crime, including cash-in-transit heists, ATM bombings, and renting firearms to other criminal groups. Rangers working within public and private game reserves have been targeted with retaliatory assassinations related to rhino poaching, with at least one ranger killed. More recently, poaching syndicates have increasingly shifted to other state, provincial and private reserves, especially in the KwaZulu-Natal province. Further, the opaqueness of South Africa’s court system, and its heavily siloed provincial court recording system, makes it nearly impossible to determine the status of ongoing wildlife crime cases. This has led to poor knowledge among prosecutors, wildlife authorities, and judges responsible for handling these cases, and a poor overall deterrence effect.

Goal 2: Strengthen law enforcement and judicial capacity in South Africa to effectively tackle wildlife crimes by improving transparency, coordination, and prosecution capabilities at national and provincial levels.

Objective 2.1: Increase the ability of provincial or park level enforcement authorities to coordinate responses to wildlife trafficking and poaching. Activities may be localized to one protected area or several within a province. Private game reserves are not eligible.

Objective 2.2: Improve national or provincial capabilities to prosecute and adjudicate cases and related offenses through training, case monitoring, watching briefs, and legal reform.

3. Democratic Republic of the Congo Award Ceiling: $2,000,000 Award floor: $500,000 Anticipated number of Awards: 1-4

Countries/Areas: DRC

DRC is the epicenter for wildlife, timber, and other natural resource trafficking in Central Africa. Key challenges include a lack of technical capacity and resources, insufficient training, and corruption. INL will prioritize proposals that tackle these issues through the provision of training, procurement of equipment, and support to ICCN and other relevant law enforcement authorities to curtail or eliminate wildlife trafficking across the country.

Goal 3: To improve DRC’s ICCN and other park law enforcement’s capacity to combat wildlife trafficking by enhancing training, equipment, collaboration, and regional coordination.

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Objective 3.1: Increase the ability of ICCN and park level enforcement authorities to prevent, detect, and investigate wildlife traffickers and their broader networks through specialized training and equipment.

Objective 3.2: Improve capabilities to prosecute and adjudicate cases and related offenses through training, mentoring, and case monitoring.

Objective 3.3: Strengthen cross-border cooperation and interdiction efforts between DRC and Angola and/or Zambia.

4. Malawi

Award floor: $500,000 Anticipated number of Awards: 1-2

Targeted Countries/Areas: Malawi

The Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) serves as Malawi's primary agency for wildlife and natural habitat management and conservation. Tasked with enforcing wildlife laws, leading anti-poaching efforts, overseeing protected areas, and engaging with communities on conservation, DNPW rangers are crucial to the country's environmental efforts. However, the department faces considerable challenges, including insufficient funding, a shortage of personnel, and a lack of specialized training and equipment. While Malawi's legal framework for wildlife conservation is in place, DNPW's effectiveness is sometimes hindered by judicial issues due to gaps in knowledge, potential corruption, legal loopholes, enforcement gaps, and resource constraints. These factors complicate DNPW's ability to fulfill its mandate, underscoring the need for support and improvements in both areas.

Goal 4: Provide Malawi's Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) rangers with thorough training and resources to effectively combat wildlife trafficking in protected areas and enhance collaboration with the judicial system to ensure successful prosecutions of wildlife criminals.

Objective 4.1: Increase the skills and knowledge of DNPW rangers to better investigate, interdict, and combat wildlife trafficking in protected areas through the provision of equipment and specialized training.

Objective 4.2: Improve the capabilities to prosecute and adjudicate cases and related offences through trainings, use of forensic analysis, mentoring, case mentoring, and legislative reform.

Objective 4.3: Strengthen cross-border cooperation and interdiction efforts between Malawi and Zambia and/or Tanzania and Mozambique.

5. Western Indian Ocean Award Ceiling: $500,000

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Award floor: $350,000 Anticipated number of Awards: 1

Target Countries/Areas: Comoros, Mauritius, and Seychelles.

Following the third ‘Ministerial Conference on Maritime Security and Safety in the Western Indian Ocean’ in November 2023, the Conference recognized the need for unified efforts by CITES State Parties along Western Indian Ocean maritime routes to protect endangered species and mitigate the environmental and economic effects of illegal wildlife trade. The Conference specifically commended the collaboration amongst TRAFFIC, Trade in Wildlife Information eXchange platforms (TWIX), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the IOC adoption of an action plan in January 2023.

The action plan addresses four thematic areas: 1) legal aspects in relation to CITES; 2) improved databases and analysis; 3) detection, identification, and management of seized species; and 4) efforts in four key pillars: sharing of information, building capacity and raising awareness, coordinating efforts on investigations, and updating/harmonizing legislation.

Goal 5: Enhance the capacity of Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) member states to better investigate, interdict, and combat wildlife trafficking at the national and regional level.

Objective 5.1: Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the maritime security landscape in the Western Indian Ocean region on the illegal wildlife trade, trafficking routes, legal frameworks, law enforcement capabilities, and regional cooperation of IOC member states.

6. Evidence Security

Award floor: $500,000 Anticipated number of Awards: 1-2

Target Countries/Area: Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Malawi, DRC, Angola, Mozambique and/or other African countries.

A major gap in the efforts to combat wildlife trafficking is a lack of proper evidence handling procedures, chain of custody management, evidence storage and security, and disposition.

Issues with proper evidence management and storage is a common problem across Africa, resulting in the inability of agencies to properly submit evidence to court, mishandling and degradation of evidence, and evidence reentering the illicit market. This program seeks to fill a gap in Africa to improve partner countries’ abilities to maintain evidence security and chain of custody during and following investigations of wildlife trafficking cases. The program will focus on providing technical assistance and training to improve evidence continuity over its entire lifetime, from acquisition to disposal, focusing on issues such as chain of custody, developing formal standards of management and administration, evidence handling, record keeping and accountability, roles and responsibilities within partner agencies, improving security measures, and the proper disposal of evidence. INL has previously supported similar programming in Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Malawi, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, DRC, and Angola. Proposals that plan to work in any of those countries should be aware of and build on any prior work to ensure continuity and sustainability in the long-term.

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Goal 6: Governments in Africa are able to maintain security and chain of custody of evidence during and following investigations of wildlife trafficking cases.

Objective 6.1: Establish formal protocols, guidelines, and systems regarding evidence security and chain of custody of seized wildlife products.

Objective 6.2: Provide training and mentorship on evidence management, chain of custody, etc. to wildlife law enforcement officers, customs, prosecutors, police, evidence custodian, and other relevant stakeholders.

Objective 6.3: Provide equipment assistance and support to relevant agencies to upgrade evidence lockers/storage.

Objective 6.4: Promote responsible maintenance of limited seized evidence following investigations and prosecutions, and destruction of seized wildlife product stockpiles no longer of evidentiary value.

7. Illegal Logging and Associated Trade in the Miombo Woodlands Range

Award floor: $500,000 Anticipated number of Awards: 2-4

Target Countries: Miombo woodlands range inclusive of Angola, southern DRC, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, and/or Burundi.

The Miombo woodlands, spanning across central, eastern, and southern Africa, represent one of the continent’s largest and most ecologically significant woodland ecosystems. The biodiverse region faces escalating threats of illegal logging and trafficking of timber by criminal groups who exploit gaps in country legal frameworks, law enforcement capacity, and the global demand for timber and timber products.

INL will prioritize proposals that tackle these issues through the provision of training, procurement of equipment, and increased support to law enforcement authorities who are responsible for responding to these threats at ports, airports, border crossings, and other key points of transit. Proposals should focus on developing and implementing strategies that promote cross-border cooperation among the nations encompassed by the Miombo woodlands, facilitating joint efforts in combating illegal logging and trade. Applicants are encouraged to carefully deconflict their proposed activities with ongoing initiatives by USG partners like the U.S. Forest Service, as well as other programs that combat natural resource crime in the relevant countries, to ensure synergy and avoid duplication of efforts.

Goal 7: To reduce the ability of criminal groups to carry out and profit from illegal logging and trafficking of timber from the Miombo Woodlands Range.

Objective 7.1: Increase the capacity of law enforcement to detect, interdict, seize, and transfer to investigatory agencies, illegal timber products, through raising awareness, training, and equipment.

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Objective 7.2: Improve national and regional law enforcement capacity to prevent, detect, and investigate timber trafficking through specialized training and equipment.

Objective 7.3: Improve national and regional capabilities to prosecute and adjudicate cases against timber crimes and related offenses to result in appropriate sentencing outcomes.

Objective 7.4: Strengthen anti-corruption efforts within relevant agencies to enhance government response, improve government accountability, and strengthen transparency as it relates to timber crime.

8. Illegal Logging and Associated Trade in West and Central Africa

Award floor: $500,000 Anticipated number of Awards: 1-2

Target Countries: Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Republic of Congo.

Illegal logging is most prevalent in the continent’s tropical rainforests in West Africa and the Congo Basin. Foreign demand for rare hardwoods from these forests has dramatically increased. A significant driver is Chinese demand for teak, redwood and mahogany.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Africa’s share of rosewood exports to China rose from 40% in 2008 to 90% in 2018. Illegal logging often relies on government corruption and elite collusion with criminal networks. This subverts the rule of law and accountable governance.

Goal 8: To reduce the ability of criminal groups to carry out and profit from illegal logging and trafficking of timber in West and Central Africa.

Objective 8.1: Increase the capacity of law enforcement to detect, interdict, seize, and

Objective 8.2: Improve national and regional law enforcement capacity to prevent, detect, and investigate timber trafficking through specialized training and equipment.

Activities within this objective may include all levels of enforcement— from ranger training and assistance aimed at preventing and deterring illegal logging in significant source areas for high-value timber products, to improving investigations following seizures and other evidence of timber trafficking in target countries. Improving investigations can include a range of tools such as expanding intelligence-based enforcement operations, enhancing analysis capacity to track money laundering and financial crimes, and strengthening skills to effectively use electronic and digital evidence in investigations, such as mobile device forensics. Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative solutions within the scope of the objective, but activities should be specific and appropriate to the country context. Applicants may also propose regional or cross-border enforcement interventions – such as improving

11 | P a g e coordination and sharing information between several countries that may serve as source/transit/destination points for illicit timber products.

Objective 8.3: Improve national and regional capabilities to prosecute and adjudicate cases

Objective 8.4: Strengthen anti-corruption efforts within relevant agencies to enhance

Asia

9. Indonesia

Award floor: $500,000 Anticipated number of Awards : 1

Countries/Areas: Indonesia

Indonesia is a major country in the supply chain for illegal wildlife products. With its central location, porous borders, and easy transit, Indonesia often serves as a transit stop for illegal shipments moving to their final destination. Due to its diverse population, many areas serve as a market for buyers from both within and outside of the country. Lastly, with its biodiversity and endemic species, the country is a source for poaching. When wildlife cases are brought to prosecution, they fail to result in meaningful sentences, thus not sufficiently deterring the illicit wildlife trade. Combating wildlife trafficking requires strong transnational cooperation between Indonesia and source, transit, and destination countries in Southeast Asia. INL will continue a range of counter wildlife trafficking programs, both bilaterally and through transnational programs, aimed at building capacity within the criminal justice sector, specifically on investigations and prosecutions to disrupt wildlife trafficking, as well as increase public education on the adverse effects of natural resource crimes.

Goal 9: To increase Indonesia’s will and ability to counter wildlife trafficking and the domestic and transnational actors, including organized transnational criminal organizations, that perpetrate this heinous crime through increased prosecutorial capacity.

Objective 9.1: Enhance investigative capabilities to counter wildlife trafficking to present stronger cases at the local, provincial. national., and/or regional level.

Activities within this objective should focus on providing assistance that strengthens cases by improving investigations through a range of tools such as expanding intelligence-based enforcement operations, enhancing analysis capacity to track money laundering and financial crimes, improved chain of custody of evidence, and strengthening skills to effectively use electronic and digital evidence in investigations. If relevant, the applicant can also include anti-corruption activities.

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Objective 9.2: Improve Indonesia’s capabilities to prosecute and adjudicate cases against wildlife crimes and related offenses with appropriate sentencing structures.

Proposals should work to sensitizes judges to the detrimental economic, security, and public health effects of wildlife trafficking where prosecutions for wildlife trafficking cases are weak or non-existent, including by using Species Victim Impact Statements. Under this objective, applicants may also propose work that seeks to improve Indonesian laws that will make enforcement of wildlife trafficking more effective, such as legal reform, case precedent, and use of predicate offenses. If relevant, the applicant can also include anti-corruption activities.

10. Pakistan

Award Ceiling: $500,000 Award floor: $300,000 Anticipated number of Awards: 1-2

Priority Region/Countries: Pakistan

Pakistan is a source, transit, and destination country for large consignments of live animals, their parts, and derivatives and its rich biodiversity, geographic location and porous borders perpetuate the problems. Weak laws and protections, low capacity of law enforcement, widespread corruption and a lack of security and surveillance allow organized crime groups to thrive and further exacerbate this illicit economy. To overcome these challenges, support is needed to raise the awareness of wildlife trafficking in Pakistan as a serious crime, to increase the judiciary’s awareness of the issues, to equip them with the skills and resources needed to prepare robust cases and successful prosecutions. Equally, law enforcement agencies and protected area managers engaged on the front line of wildlife crime need greater awareness, education, and capacity building to better enable them to interdict, investigate and combat wildlife trafficking. Investments are also needed in technology to support data management and intelligence, community led ‘passive law enforcement’ and surveillance, development of informant networks and/or mechanisms for anonymously reporting intelligence, and to foster partnerships between protected area managers, law enforcement agencies, judiciary, buffer zone managers, and the communities that live within them. Interventions aimed at strengthening communication, building trust, and fostering collaboration among law enforcement, rangers, decision makers (for example through SAWEN) and communities is also needed.

Goal 10: Pakistan is better equipped with resources, tools, and training needed to combat wildlife trafficking.

Objective 10.1: Improve awareness, skills, and the ability of front-line law enforcement (including rangers and protected area managers) to enforce, intercept and investigate wildlife trafficking. Where appropriate, this may include local community groups.

Activities within this objective could focus on (but are not limited to) providing needs assessments, appropriate level training, and the provision of essential resources, tools and/or equipment that enable front line law enforcement to undertake their roles more safely, effectively, and efficiently. Activities could also include

13 | P a g e establishment of community based anti-poaching groups, fostering collaboration and trust between communities and conservation law enforcement, and delivery of basic training and equipment to communities to support CWT efforts of law enforcement and protected area managers.

Objective 10.2: Improve awareness, skills and the ability of prosecutors and judges to successfully prosecute and convict perpetrators of illegal wildlife trafficking.

Activities within this objective could focus on (but are not limited to) undertaking legal gap analysis, appropriate level training, and the provision of essential resources, tools and/or equipment that enable prosecutors and judges to undertake their roles safely, better informed, and more effective, and efficiently.

Objective 10.3: Improve inter-provincial and regional coordination among front-line law enforcement agencies (including rangers and protected area managers), prosecutors, and judges to improve Pakistan’s ability to combat wildlife trafficking at a national and regional level.

Activities within this objective could focus on (but are not limited to) interventions that support and strengthen collaboration and coordination locally, nationally, and regionally (SAWEN), across the spectrum of combating wildlife trafficking stakeholders.

11. Mongolia

Award floor: $400,000 Anticipated number of Awards: 1-3

Mongolia could face irreversible ecological damage caused by natural resource crimes including illegal mining, logging, and wildlife trafficking, which are degrading Mongolia’s natural resources and ecosystems across the Mongolian landscape. These challenges significantly impact Mongolia’s economic, environmental, national security, and social prosperity. Despite its economic significance, activities such as illegal ASM are causing significant environmental degradation and negatively impacting good governance. Weak legislation and environmental protections, coupled with an informal and unregulated mining industry, have facilitated ASM growth in Mongolia. Against the backdrop of Mongolia’s rapid economic and social transformation in recent decades, Mongolia has experienced increased activity related to natural resource crimes and its global role in these illegal activities.

Mongolia’s geographic location landlocked between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Russia makes it vulnerable to and influenced by the markets and policies of those two countries. While Mongolia is not a major transit route for illegal natural resources such as timber and wildlife at this point, infrastructure including the direct railroad and highway that runs north-south through Mongolia from Russia to the PRC is a known trade route for other forms of illicit trafficking, including drugs and people. Like in many other countries, natural resource crimes in Mongolia are still considered a minor crime. A network of poachers, traders, and smugglers involved from harvesting to export, capitalize on a lack of detection mechanisms, insufficient laws, inadequate enforcement of legislation, and weak penalties to execute their crimes. Smugglers utilize sophisticated techniques to circumvent

14 | P a g e uncoordinated law enforcement agencies, which often lack the equipment, technology, and capacity to identify criminals. Poverty and corruption propel these illegal activities further.

Support is needed to increase judges’ and magistrates’ understanding and to raise the level of these crimes in Mongolia as a serious crime within the judiciary and equip prosecutors with the skills and resources needed to prepare robust cases and achieve successful prosecutions. Conservation law enforcement agencies and protected area (PA) managers, engaged on the front lines, need greater awareness, education, and capacity building to interdict, investigate, and combat natural resource crimes across the Mongolian landscape.

Goal 11: Mongolia is better equipped to counter natural resource crimes at the landscape

INL encourages and will give preference to proposals that seek to address more than one natural resource crime at the landscape level.

Objective 11.1: Increase the ability and effectiveness of conservation law enforcement (including rangers), government decision makers and/or communities to combat natural resource crimes.

Activities within this objective could focus on (but are not limited to) providing needs assessments, appropriate level training, and the provision of essential resources, tools and/or equipment that enable conservation law enforcement officers to undertake their roles more safely, effectively, and efficiently. Development and application of innovative technologies to support monitoring and surveillance (drones, spatial monitoring tools, AI detection systems, and real-time alerting) and associated training. Activities could also include basic training and/or activities that foster greater collaboration between communities, rangers, protected area managers and conservation law enforcement.

Objective 11.2: Improve legal foundations, skills, and the ability of prosecutors and judges to successfully prosecute and convict perpetrators of natural resource crimes.

Activities within this objective should focus on (but are not limited to) undertaking legal gap analysis, appropriate level training, fostering collaboration/communication, and the provision of essential resources, tools and/or equipment that enable prosecutors and judges to undertake their roles safely, better informed, and more effective, and efficiently.

Objective 11.3: Improve the capacity of law enforcement officials to detect, investigate, and combat corruption, and financial crime in connection with natural resource crimes.

Activities within this objective could focus on (but are not limited to) providing support for existing working groups (Financial Intelligence WG), focus on anti-corruption interventions including with the private sector (banks), supply chain mapping, collaboration, and mentorship.

12. India/Nepal

Award Ceiling: $350,000

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Award floor: $150,000 Anticipated number of Awards: 1-3

Priority Region/Countries: India (Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab. Other priority regions can be proposed with clear justification), Nepal (high Himalayas and the Terai, other priority regions can be proposed with clear justification).

NOTE: To be considered for awards under this goal, applicants from India must be FCRA registered, non-government organizations. In Nepal, applicants must be local non-government, civil society organizations with an in-country presence.

Porous borders and a lack of capacity of law enforcement continues to exacerbate the illegal trade in wildlife and other natural resources like timber. These illicit products travel through established trading corridors across border regions in India and Nepal. Poachers increasingly source wildlife from protected areas and national parks to supply traffickers who then move wildlife parts and derivatives across borders. Greater efforts must be made to reinforce the vital forest refuges within these priority illicit trade corridors and to equip the rangers and local judiciary and judges with the skills, equipment, and tools needed to do their job effectively. It is also necessary to invest in innovative technologies for data management and intelligence, community led ‘passive law enforcement’ and surveillance, development of informant networks and/or mechanisms for anonymously reporting intelligence, and to foster partnerships between protected area managers, law enforcement agencies, judiciary, buffer zone managers, and the communities that live within them. Buffer zone communities are a crucial ally in developing informant networks on external poaching activities in their areas so engaging and equipping community groups looking after protected areas, surrounding buffer zones, and the forest corridors connecting them together, will help to reinforce protected areas and safeguard the wildlife that travels between these various connected landscapes, preventing illicit trade routes from expanding further. Collaboration between governments in the transboundary areas where these illegal wildlife trade routes exist remains an issue, and hence interventions aimed at strengthening communication, building trust, and fostering collaboration among law enforcement, rangers, decision makers and communities is needed.

Goal 12: India and Nepal are no-longer used as major illicit transit corridors for the movement of illegal wildlife and wildlife parts.

Objective 12.1: Support the CWT efforts of rangers, protected area managers, and local law enforcement through engagement with communities living in priority illicit trade corridors.

Activities within this objective could include (but are not limited to) providing support to front line conservation law enforcement and protected area managers through the establishment of community based anti-poaching groups, fostering collaboration and trust between communities and conservation law enforcement and delivery of basic training and equipment to communities to support CWT efforts of local law enforcement and protected area managers.

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Objective 12.2: Improve the ability of local law enforcement, rangers, protected area managers, judiciary and/or communities to disrupt priority illicit trade corridors.

Activities within this objective could focus on (but are not limited to) the establishment of local wildlife crime control bureaus, targeted and appropriate level CWT training (including sniffer dog handling), provision of resources, tools, data management, and equipment, and fostering law enforcement collaboration and trust building.

Objective 12.3: Apply innovative technologies and unique approaches to dismantle illicit trade routes.

Activities within this objective could focus on (but are not limited to) the development of new, or provision/expansion of existing technologies that support CWT efforts such as drones, mobile phone applications and detection systems, and systems that enable secure regional cooperation and information exchange.

Objective 12.4: Deepen the understanding of the illicit trade in wildlife and/or the criminal networks responsible and identify national and/or regional level interventions to combat them.

which deepen and expand the understanding of the illegal trade in wildlife such as species trade assessments, trade route surveys, and/or activities which develop strategic plans/strategies to address these challenges at a local, national, or regional

13. Rangers and Protected Areas

Award Ceiling: $2,500,000 Award Floor: $300,000 Anticipated number of awards: 1-4

Note: Applicants may apply for up to a 36-month period of performance under this goal.

Priority Countries/Areas: Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines.

Poachers and wildlife and timber traffickers continue to source wildlife and timber from Asia’s protected areas and national parks because many lack basic resources (including staff and equipment), needed to protect and manage them effectively, while corruption and weak laws further exacerbate the problem. However, wildlife does not adhere to park boundaries.

Large volumes of wildlife are poached from forest corridors, community managed forests, and buffer areas adjacent to these protected areas where resources are almost non-existent.

Donor interventions focused heavily on ranger training and capacity building, often overlook the essential tools, equipment, and services needed to translate the training into action on the ground. Greater efforts must be made to reinforce Asia’s vital wildlife and timber strongholds and to equip the rangers that protect them with the essential equipment and tools required to do their job effectively. It is also vital to invest in community led ‘passive

17 | P a g e law enforcement’ and surveillance, and to foster partnerships between protected area managers, law enforcement agencies, buffer zone managers, and the communities that live within them. Buffer zone communities are a crucial ally in developing informant networks on external poaching activities in their areas so engaging and equipping community groups looking after protected areas, surrounding buffer zones, and the forest corridors connecting them together, will help to reinforce protected areas and safeguard the wildlife that travels between these various connected landscapes.

Goal 13: Safeguard wildlife within Asia’s protected and priority non-protected areas from poaching and trafficking

Proposals can include one or multiple countries from the focus country list and one or multiple objectives outlined below. However, INL seeks proposals that maximize the impact of interventions and discourages proposals that focus on more than four countries. INL discourages proposals that attempt to address all focus countries and/or objectives, however regionally focused activities where the outcome/impact benefits more than four countries will also be considered.

Objective 13.1: Provide rangers and conservation law enforcement with equipment the and resources required to improve their ability to effectively safeguard wildlife across Asia’s protected and priority non-protected areas. Where appropriate, this may include local community groups.

which allow rangers and conservation law enforcement officers (within and adjacent to priority protected and non-protected landscapes) to undertake their role safely, effectively, and efficiency. Activities can include provision of essential non-lethal equipment, tools and resources, basic services, and the application of innovative technology. Activities can also include community groups adjacent to protected areas to support the CWT efforts of rangers, protected area managers, and law enforcement.

Objective 13.2: Provide tools and equipment to support efforts to prevent the poaching and trafficking of wildlife from Asia’s protected and priority non-protected areas.

that directly support the safe, effective, and efficient operation of priority protected and non-protected landscapes such as application of spatial monitoring and new technologies, essential equipment, modes of transport, communications, and delineation of park boundaries.

14. Illegal Logging and Associated Trade in Southeast Asia

Award floor: $500,000 Anticipated number of Awards: 2-4

Target Countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and/or Vietnam.

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Illegal logging and associated trade (ILAT) fuels transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) while robbing governments and local communities of their livelihoods. INL aims to achieve specific objectives to reduce the illegal trade in timber through effective programming at the national, regional, and international levels in key source, transit, and destination locations in Southeast Asia. Proposals can include one or multiple countries from the focus country list and one or multiple objectives outlined below. No preference will be given for including more countries or objectives; it is more important to focus on depth of impact than covering all areas. INL leverages its unique foreign assistance authorities to support host-nation investigatory and prosecutorial capacity in relation to these crimes to disrupt the higher-level syndicates involved.

Goal 14: To reduce the ability of criminal groups to carry out and profit from illegal logging and trafficking of timber in Southeast Asia.

Objective 14.1: Increase the capacity of law enforcement to detect, interdict, seize, and

Activities within this objective should focus on improving interdiction efforts in ports, airports, and other border checkpoints that are identified chokepoints or transit points for trafficking timber. Activities can include training and assistance to a wide range of actors such as customs officers, border officials, airport and port authorities, and law enforcement, as well as coordination with shipping and air transit industries.

Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative solutions within the scope of the objective; however, activities should be specific and appropriate to the country context. Activities should account for existing programs. Activities may coordinate with and be complimentary to the existing foreign assistance programs, but should not be duplicative of existing efforts. They may build upon or leverage existing engagements.

Objective 14.2: Improve national, regional, provincial, and district-level law enforcement capacity to prevent, detect, and investigate timber trafficking through specialized training and equipment.

Activities within this objective may include all levels of enforcement— from ranger training and assistance aimed at preventing and deterring illegal logging in significant source areas for high-value timber products, to improving investigations following seizures and other evidence of timber trafficking in target countries. Improving investigations can include a range of tools such as expanding intelligence-based enforcement operations, enhancing analysis capacity to track money laundering and financial crimes, and strengthening skills to effectively use electronic and digital evidence in investigations, such as mobile device forensics. Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative solutions within the scope of the objective, but activities should be specific and appropriate to the country context. This includes developing a sustainability plan to ensure that efforts and equipment can be applied beyond the period of performance. Applicants may also propose regional or cross-border enforcement interventions – such as improving coordination and sharing

19 | P a g e information between several countries that may serve as source/transit/destination points for illicit timber products.

Objective 14.3: Improve national and regional capabilities to prosecute and adjudicate cases

Activities within this objective should focus on providing assistance that strengthens case management, enhances prosecutorial skills, improves chain of custody, and sensitizes judges to the detrimental effects of timber trafficking in countries where prosecutions for timber trafficking cases are weak or non-existent. Under this objective, applicants may also propose work that seeks to improve the host countries’ laws that will make enforcement of timber trafficking more effective.

Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative solutions within the scope of the objective, but activities should be specific and appropriate to the country context.

Where appropriate, interventions should consider utilizing technology to streamline operations, improve transparency, and expand reach. Applicants may also propose regional cooperation mechanisms on the prosecution of illegal logging and associated trade – such as improving coordination and sharing information between several countries that may serve as source/transit/destination points for illicit timber products.

Objective 14.4: Strengthen anti-corruption efforts within relevant agencies to enhance

Activities within this objective should focus on supporting legal, institutional, and/or policy changes that reduce vulnerability to corruption and increases accountability and transparency within government institutions responsible for interdicting, investigating, or prosecuting timber trafficking cases. This includes customs agencies, environmental authorities, financial authorities, anticorruption agencies, and other enforcement and justice sector entities. Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative solutions within the scope of the objective, but activities should be specific and appropriate to the country context.

Latin America

15. Natural Resource Crimes in Latin America Award Ceiling: $3,000,000 Award floor: $500,000 Anticipated number of Awards: 2-4

Target Countries/Area: Latin America

INL aims to achieve specific objectives to reduce the illegal trade in timber and/ or gold mining through effective programming at the national, regional, and international levels in key source, transit, and destination locations in Latin America. INL leverages its unique foreign assistance authorities to support host-nation investigatory and prosecutorial capacity in relation to these crimes to disrupt the higher-level syndicates involved.

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Goal 15: To reduce the ability of criminal groups to carry out and profit from illegal logging and trafficking of timber and/or gold mining in Latin America.

Objective 15.1: Improve national and regional law enforcement capacity to prevent, detect, and investigate timber trafficking and/or gold mining through specialized training and equipment.

Activities within this objective may include all levels of enforcement— from training and assistance aimed at preventing and deterring illegal logging or mining to improving investigations following seizures and other evidence in target countries.

Improving investigations can include a range of tools such as expanding intelligence-based enforcement operations, enhancing analysis capacity to track money laundering and financial crimes, and strengthening skills to effectively use electronic and digital evidence in investigations, such as mobile device forensics. Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative solutions within the scope of the objective, but activities should be specific and appropriate to the country context. Applicants may also propose regional or cross-border enforcement interventions – such as improving coordination and sharing information between several countries that may serve as source/transit/destination points.

Objective 15.2: Improve national and regional capabilities to prosecute and adjudicate cases against timber crimes and/or gold mining, and related offenses to result in appropriate sentencing outcomes.

Activities within this objective should focus on strengthening case management, enhancing prosecutorial skills, improving chain of custody, and sensitizing judges to the detrimental effects of timber trafficking and/ or gold mining in countries where prosecutions are weak or non-existent.