The 9th meeting of the The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN WEN) discussed, among other issues, the enhanced enforcement efforts being taken by Viet Nam to combat illegal wildlife trade and to suppress demand for illegally traded products.
29 May 2014: The 9th meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN WEN) discussed, among other issues, the enhanced enforcement efforts being taken by Viet Nam to combat illegal wildlife trade and to suppress demand for illegally traded products. The meeting coincided with the 20th Anniversary of Viet Nam’s accession to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
During the Anniversary ceremony, CITES Secretary-General, John Scanlon, addressed the ASEAN WEN meeting as well as the ASEAN WEN Partnership Workshop. He highlighted Viet Nam’s intention to implement the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit and praised the country’s incorporation of CITES priorities into its revised (draft) National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), which addresses illegal wildlife trade and opens up opportunities to attract Global Environment Facility (GEF) funding.
ASEAN WEN is supported by USAID. Non-governmental organization partners include FREELAND Foundation and TRAFFIC. ASEAN-WEN has also developed links with partner countries and intergovernmental organizations such as the CITES Secretariat, Interpol, the UN Office on for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), The World Bank Global Tiger Initiative and the World Customs Organization (WCO).
The meeting was held from 28-29 May 2014, in Ha Noi, Viet Nam. [ASEAN WEN Website] [CITES News]