EAAP website virtual launch
A virtual launch of the East African Association of Prosecutors website will take place on Monday 16th November 2020.
In 2018, representatives of the national prosecution offices in Tanzania and Kenya approached TRAFFIC to support them in the development of a regional ‘Wildlife and Environmental Crimes Prosecutors Forum’ embedded within the East Africa Association of Prosecutors (EAAP). The objectives of this Forum would be to strengthen the region’s wildlife prosecutors in effectively prosecuting wildlife and related crimes. Specifically, the Forum would promote cooperation on transnational wildlife crimes, data sharing, bilateral agreements, mutual legal assistance, updates and harmonization of relevant laws, procedures, and penalties
In 2019, support to the Forum was realized through the USAID-funded project, Conserving Natural Capital And Enhancing Collaborative Management Of Transboundary Resources In East Africa (Connect), a project of IUCN with support by TRAFFIC and WWF and in collaboration with the East African Community (EAC). Among the deliverables within this support is the construction of a website with thematic microsites, especially the Wildlife and Environmental Crimes Prosecutors Forum.
In July 2020, a virtual meeting on the Forum was held and attended to by the President and Secretariat of the EAAP, USAID, IUCN, and TRAFFIC. In August, the website design, and materials collected by the activity lead were approved by the EAAP.
Before the launch, the website demonstration to the EAAP President and Secretariat was undertaken virtually using Zoom on 10th 2020 and approved. With the website materials approved, the next step in the process is to present the Launch the website to the EAAP. together with the relevant stakeholders such as EAC, USAID and USAID. This Launch will involve a demonstration of the website to ensure that all relevant parties are familiar with the structure and information provided.