10 February 2011
SAARC Countries Launch SAWEN in Bhutan
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The South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network was launched at the second meeting of the South Asia Experts Group on Illegal Wildlife Trade, hosted by the Royal Government of Bhutan.

SAWEN will work to counter threats to key species from illegal exploitation and trafficking.

30 January 2011: The South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) was launched during the second meeting of the South Asia Experts Group on Illegal Wildlife Trade, which took place in Paro, Bhutan, from 29-30 January 2011.

In addition to Bhutan, the Governments of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka established SAWEN as a coordinated body, with the aim of countering threats from illegal exploitation and trafficking to some of South Asia’s key species, such as tigers, elephants and rhinos, as well as a variety of medicinal plants, timber, marine species, birds and reptiles.

The members of SAWEN also comprise the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The network is based on “ASEAN-WEN,” formed by the 10 Southeast Asian countries that comprise the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In May 2010, the Government of Nepal hosted the first meeting of the South Asia Experts Group, at which the Group prepared an operational roadmap for the establishment of SAWEN. At the recent, second meeting of the Group, hosted by the Royal Government of Bhutan with technical support from TRAFFIC and WWF, experts continued with the priorities outlined during the Nepal meeting and identified critical points, including: an agreed action-oriented work plan for joint activities, some of which will begin immediately; an agreed governance and operational structure for SAWEN; that the SAWEN Secretariat will be based in Kathmandu, Nepal; and the need for strategic collaboration on communications and fundraising. [Bhutan Press Release]

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