The first-ever Wildlife Justice Commission Public Hearing will examine the results of a year-long investigation into Nhi Khe, a wildlife trafficking hub in Viet Nam. The Commission decided to hold the Hearing due to the lack of decisive action to prosecute and close down the criminal network, despite the “overwhelming body of evidence” presented to the Vietnamese and Chinese law enforcement authorities, as well as “an extensive diplomatic outreach” and engagement of international stakeholders, including through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). An ‘Accountability Panel’ comprising five independent international experts, including high-level judges and legal experts, will critically examine a “Map of Facts” that includes over 5,000 pages of evidence as well as audio and visual direct observations by investigators of trafficked parts and products amounting to approximately 907 elephants, 579 rhinos, 225 tigers and other endangered species. The Panel will also consider video testimonies submitted prior to the Hearing by civil society organizations and other interested individuals or organizations, as well as a representative selection of parties invited to present statements during the Hearing. The Wildlife Justice Commission is a Netherlands-based international not-for-profit organization that operates globally to disrupt and help dismantle transnational, organized criminal networks dealing in endangered species of plants and animals. The Commission hopes that the outcome of the Public Hearing will help to validate its findings and activate justice by recommending concrete actions to be taken by Vietnamese authorities.  

dates: 14-15 November 2016  
venue: Peace Palace, The Hague  
location: Den Haag, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands  
e-mail: info@wildlifejustice.org