IV High-Level Meeting of the Triangles Strategy - Central Triangle Chapter in Panama
At the invitation of Strategos BIP, the Department against Transnational Organized Crime of the Organization of American States (OAS-DDOT) and Panama's National Customs Authority (ANA), the IV High-Level Meeting of the Triangles Strategy, Central Chapter, was held, bringing together representatives of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and the Dominican Republic in Panama City on February 10 and 11.
This event represented a crucial opportunity to effectively address, at the regional level, the problem of illicit trade in various products, both at the strategic and operational levels.
Opening Remarks
The meeting began with welcoming remarks from Ms. Soraya L. Valdivieso, Director General of Panama's ANA; from Dr. Rubén Farje, Representative of the OAS in Panama; from Gen. (ret.) Juan Carlos Buitrago, CEO of Strategos BIP and Coordinator of the Triangles Strategy; and it was inaugurated by His Excellency, Julio Moltó, Minister of Commerce and Industries of Panama, who shared words of welcome, highlighting the current problem posed by smuggling and counterfeiting in the region, as well as the importance of international, inter-institutional and public-private collaboration to confront the threats of illicit trade, the risks it poses to consumers, industries and State finances, and its connection to transnational organized crime and money laundering.
Ms. Soraya L. Valdivieso, Dr. Rubén Farje, Gen. (ret.) Juan Carlos Buitrago.
Panels of the Day
Panel I: Customs Security and Illicit Trade
On the part of the region's authorities, the first Panel was held on the topic of customs security and illicit trade, moderated by Mtro. Juan Ruiz, COO of Strategos BIP and head of CIMA, with C.P. Luis Eduardo Llinás, Director General of Taxes and Customs of Colombia, as well as the deputy directors of Customs of Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, and officials of the ANA and the Public Prosecutor's Office of Colombia, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, where one of the focuses of conversation was how customs management plays a fundamental role in a country's security, highlighting the importance of technological modernization, collaboration between customs and the private sector, and inter-institutional trust.
Panel II: Government Efforts Against Illicit Trade in the Central Triangle Countries
The second panel was moderated by Dr. María Fernanda Román, Director General of the Development Management Office of Universidad Hemisferios, and focused on government efforts against illicit trade in the Central Triangle countries. Participants included Gen. Víctor Zanabria, Commanding General of Peru's National Police, as well as the heads of Colombia's Fiscal and Customs Police, the Deputy Directorate of Panama's National Air and Naval Service, and the National Unit for Customs Crimes and Development Regime of Ecuador's National Police.
Panel III: Multi-industry vision. Lessons learned and areas of opportunity.
On the private-sector side, the third panel was held, moderated by Dr. Claudette Vernot, Director of Estrategia Jurídica, on the topic of multi-industry vision, lessons learned and areas of opportunity, with panelists representing the pharmaceutical (SANOFI), tobacco (PMI) and alcoholic beverage (DIAGEO) industries. In this panel, each industry shared from its own experience how it has been combating the negative effects of illicit trade and the challenges it faces today.
Panel IV: Regional and International Cooperation Efforts Against Illicit Trade
In the fourth panel, moderated by Dr. Víctor Guerra, Global Chair of the Compliance Task Force of the ICC Institute of World Business Law, regional and international cooperation efforts against illicit trade were addressed. Participants included Dr. Francisco Rojas, Rector of the United Nations University for Peace, and representatives of the European Union Anti-Fraud Office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Foundation for the Study of Money Laundering and Crime (FELADE) and the Naval Intelligence of the Colombian Navy, who emphasized the importance of international cooperation in confronting the complex dynamics of the criminal structures that facilitate illicit trade, as well as trade-based money laundering.
Closed-Door Session with Authorities
With the operational vision that characterizes the Strategy, an exclusive space was also set aside with investigative authorities, so that the participating alcoholic beverage, pharmaceutical and tobacco industries could explain and share information on modalities, trends and specific cases of illicit trade.
Institutionalization of the Triangles Strategy
At the end of the panels, the Cooperation Agreement between Panama's National Customs Authority and Strategos BIP, as the Strategy's coordinating entity, was signed, along with a Memorandum of Understanding between the University for Peace and Strategos BIP, committing to collaborate in the fight against illicit trade.
Lastly, Gen. (ret.) Juan Carlos Buitrago and Ms. Soraya L. Valdivieso shared with the participants their suggestions, conclusions and a roadmap to sustain continued work against illicit trade in the region. Likewise, at the close of the Meeting's working day, both authorities recalled the dates of the next meetings to be held this year: Northern Triangle in Mexico and Southern Triangle in Argentina.
Day 2: Guided Tour of the Panama Canal
The following day, to conclude the IV High-Level Meeting in Panama, participants took a guided tour of the Panama Canal. During the tour, attendees had the opportunity to observe the canal's operations first-hand and better understand its crucial role in international maritime trade. This experience enriched participants' perspective on the importance of international cooperation in protecting strategic trade routes.
Entities participating in the Meeting:
Authorities
Costa Rica: General Directorate of Customs, Fiscal Control Police and the Costa Rican Drug Institute.
Colombia: National Navy, National Tax and Customs Directorate (DIAN), Fiscal and Customs Police (POLFA).
Ecuador: National Police.
United States: HSI and CBP of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Criminal Divisions and U.S. Department of Justice.
Panama: National Customs Authority, Ministry of Public Security, National Security Council, Panama National Police, Attorney General's Office and National Border Service, Supreme Court of Justice, National Migration Service, Financial Analysis Unit.
Peru: Public Prosecutor's Office and National Police
Dominican Republic: Customs
Uruguay: National Customs Directorate
International organizations:
UNHCR, AMERIPOL, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, WIPO, OLAF and the Organization of American States.
Private sector and academia:
Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property - ASIPI, Alliance against Illicit Trade, Chamber of Commerce, Agriculture and Industries of Colón, Guatemalan Chamber of Industry, COLADCA, BASC Panama, Bayer, Chanel, Estudio Benedetti, FELADE, ICC Institute of World Business Law, Michelin Colombia, PepsiCo, Thomson Reuters Special Services, Philip Morris International, Procter & Gamble, Philips, SANOFI, Strategos BIP, S2 Global, Universidad Hemisferios and University for Peace.
Embassies:
Embassies: Belgium, United States of America, France, Netherlands, United Kingdom and European Union in Panama.
Foundations of the Alliance:
Download the official event report here:
Strategos BIP is a consulting firm in investigation, security and the protection of legal trade in Latin America & the Caribbean, acting as coordinator of the Triangles Strategy. For more information, you can contact us at: triangulos@strategosbip.com Website: www.strategosbip.com
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