Events Calendar
CAR-WEN General Meeting
Date: 21 October 2025
Location: Virtual (Microsoft Teams)
Access: Non-public events open to CAR-WEN members and Special Observers
The CAR-WEN General Meetings bring together representatives from member governments and partner organisations to share updates, highlight key initiatives, and coordinate upcoming network activities.
United for Wildlife Global Summit 2025
Date: 4-6 November 2025
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Organised by: United for Wildlife
Participating Organisations: Global network of organisations
LinkedIn URL: United for Wildlife Global Summit 2025
The summit will bring together global leaders to address environmental crime and protect wildlife, with a specific focus on unified action to end wildlife trafficking. This event will highlight Brazil's role as a global leader in conservation due to its immense biodiversity and largest tropical rainforest.
The Caribbean Wildlife Enforcement Network (CAR-WEN) will be represented at the summit, highlighting its ongoing efforts to strengthen regional collaboration and enforcement capacity, including the development of a new Rapid Assessment Toolkit for wildlife crime now in its pilot stage in Jamaica.
CAR-WEN Leadership Meeting
Date: 17 November 2025
Location: Virtual (Microsoft Teams)
Access: Non-public events open to the CAR-WEN Leadership Team
The CAR-WEN Leadership Meetings gather the network’s core coordination and advisory teams to guide strategic direction and oversee implementation progress.
20th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CITES CoP20)
Date: 24 November – 5 December 2025
Location: Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Organised by: Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
Participating Organisations: Contracting Parties to CITES, Observers, Intergovernmental and Non-Governmental Organizations, and Partner Networks including the CAR-WEN
Official link: CITES CoP20 Event Page
The 20th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CITES CoP20) will bring together representatives of more than 180 Parties to review the implementation of the Convention and decide on measures to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Discussions will address amendments to the CITES Appendices, compliance and enforcement mechanisms, and new initiatives to strengthen global cooperation against wildlife crime.
The Caribbean Wildlife Enforcement Network (CAR-WEN) Working Group will participate as an Observer, engaging with Parties and partners to highlight enforcement priorities in the Wider Caribbean. The Working Group will also host a dedicated side event showcasing initiatives, sharing lessons learned, and outlining future strategies for combating wildlife crime in the Wider Caribbean. In addition, CAR-WEN will engage with other Wildlife Enforcement Networks (WENs) to exchange insights and contribute to the development of shared global priorities for strengthening enforcement cooperation.
CAR-WEN Side Event at CITES CoP20
Date: 5 December 2025
Location: Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Organised by: Caribbean Wildlife Enforcement Network (CAR-WEN) Working Group
Hosted within: 20th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CITES CoP20)
Participating Organisations: Representatives from CITES Parties, partner Wildlife Enforcement Networks (WENs), and regional collaborators from the Wider Caribbean
The CAR-WEN Side Event at CITES CoP20 will spotlight collaborative approaches to combating wildlife crime and strengthening enforcement coordination across the Wider Caribbean. This session will showcase practical initiatives emerging from CAR-WEN’s regional work, including rapid-assessment toolkits, inter-agency capacity-building, and improved mechanisms for data sharing and intelligence exchange.
The event will bring together enforcement authorities, policymakers, and technical experts to discuss how regional cooperation can deliver measurable enforcement outcomes. Participants will also explore pathways for aligning Caribbean priorities with global wildlife trade under CITES.
For participation details or materials, please contact us.
13th Conference of the Parties to the SPAW Protocol (SPAW CoP13)
Date: 13–16 October 2025
Location: Kingston, Jamaica
Organised by: UNEP Cartagena Convention Secretariat and the SPAW Regional Activity Centre (SPAW-RAC)
Participating Organisations: Contracting Parties to the Cartagena Convention and the SPAW Protocol, Observers, and Partner Networks including CAR-WEN
Official link: UNEP Event Page
The 13th Conference of the Parties to the SPAW Protocol (SPAW CoP13) is the Caribbean’s foremost policy forum for strengthening regional biodiversity governance under the Cartagena Convention. It brings together national focal points, technical experts, and partner institutions to review implementation progress, update species and protected area listings, and reinforce cooperative frameworks for environmental protection.
The Caribbean Wildlife Enforcement Network (CAR-WEN) Working Group will participate as an Observer, engaging with government delegations and partner organisations to advance collaboration between enforcement agencies, conservation NGOs, and policy institutions across the Wider Caribbean.