COLIBRI Project holds a regional seminar for focal points in Asuncion, Paraguay

The first regional seminar bringing together COLIBRI Project focal points for the Latin America and Caribbean region was held from 4 to 6 June 2024 in Asuncion, Paraguay. The event brought together 35 focal points from 31 different administrations in 8 partner countries: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.

The seminar provided an excellent opportunity to strengthen the regional COLIBRI network, fostering a constructive exchange of best practices in the cooperation domain. During the event, representatives of the participating administrations presented their National Action Plans (NAPs), which are an effective tool for assessing progress made with the implementation of the COLIBRI Project strategy.

The seminar was officially opened by the Representative of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Paraguay and the National Director of the National Tax Revenue Directorate (DNIT), who highlighted the relevance of the COLIBRI Project in the fight against transnational organized crime in the general aviation sector.

The event was also an opportunity for external partners to present their work, in particular the SEACOP Project, an initiative under the EU's Global Illicit Flows Programme (GIFP) umbrella. SEACOP is a key partner of the COLIBRI Project, strengthening the response to intermodal trafficking (the combined use of air, maritime and land transport).

The Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (Narcotics) - MAOC (N), the COLIBRI Project's strategic operational partner, was also present. The complementary nature of the COLIBRI Project and the MAOC(N) was highlighted throughout the regional seminar. MAOC(N)'s mission is to support the European fight against drug trafficking by sea and air across the Atlantic and Mediterranean, bound for Europe. The COLIBRI Project is helping strengthen national, regional and international coordination and cooperation in this area, as well as building institutional relationships between partner countries through its capacity-building activities and the provision of data-sharing tools, such as the Geoportal and its mobile application.

Among the highlights of the seminar, the Geoportal emerged as an essential tool for gathering information, conducting risk analysis and following up on investigations. In this connection, the presentation by the Colombian Air Force attracted a great deal of interest. The presentation showed how the Geoportal can serve as a key tool for planning preventive controls using satellite imagery to generate information and intelligence, for example on the development of clandestine runways and territory over time, and for organizing responsive controls accordingly.

The Head of the WCO Regional Intelligence Liaison Office (RILO) for South America also outlined the main features and benefits offered by CENcomm, the WCO's secure real-time communications system.

The presentation on the use of open-source intelligence (OSINT) was another key moment. It emphasized the synergy between the use of OSINT and the Geoportal control data, resulting in more effective risk analysis and better-targeted control operations.

Finally, the importance of cooperation with the judiciary was stressed. The Deputy Prosecutor from Argentina's Office of the Attorney General for Drug-Related Crimes (Procuraduría de Narcocriminalidad - PROCUNAR), presented the functions performed by this Office, which is specialized in combating drug trafficking and related crime. The Deputy Prosecutor described the mechanisms and resources available to promote international cooperation, such as existing conventions and the Iberoamerican Network of Anti-Drug Prosecutors, and highlighted the challenges faced, for example the transnational nature of criminal groups' activities.

For more information about the COLIBRI Project, please visit colibri.wcoomd.org or contact the WCO Secretariat at [email protected].

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