Wildlife Law Enforcement Networking in Southeast Asia – Experiences from ASEAN-WEN

Second Meeting of the South Asia Experts Group on Illegal Wildlife TradeJanuary 29 – 30, 2011, Paro, Bhutan

A regional INTER-GOVERNMENTAL law enforcement network

A proactive response to Southeast Asia’s alarming levels of wildlife trafficking

Countries share information and learn from each other’s best practices.

A response to combat organized illegal transnational wildlife crime with interregional

and cross-border cooperation between law enforcement agencies.

What is ASEAN-WEN

ASEAN Regional Action Plan on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora 2005 – 2010 (May 2005)

Objective 2: To promote networking amongst relevant law enforcement authorities in ASEAN countries to curb illegal trade in wild fauna and flora.

ASEAN-WEN Action Plan

• Establishment of inter-agency committees at national levels to ensure coordination and collaboration between law enforcement officials on trade in wild fauna and flora;

•Facilitating exchange of law enforcement information regarding trade in wild fauna and flora, and coordination of regional participation

• Promotion of collaborative capacity-building efforts for improved law enforcement

ASEAN-WEN Action Plan

CITES Authorities

ASEAN Wildlife

Enforcement Network

Customs

Police

Prosecutors

Specialized GovernmentalWildlife Law Enforcement

Organizations

Other Relevant NationalLaw Enforcement Agencies

What is ASEAN-WEN

Task Force

Focal Point

Focal Point

Task Force

Task Force

Task Force

Task Force

Task Force

Task Force

Task Force

Task Force

Task Force

Focal Point

Focal Point

Focal Point

FocalPoint

Focal Point

Focal Point

Focal Point

Malaysia

Chairman of ASEAN-WEN

MyanmarSingapore Indonesia Cambodia Vietnam Brunei Laos Philippines

ASEAN SEC.

CITES

INTERPOL

Other countries

Program Coordination Unit

(PCU)

Focal Point

NGOs

Focal Point

Thailand

ASEAN-WEN Structure

Support from Partner Organizations

over 76,350 live animals have been rescued

Over 107,616 animal parts and derivates have been recovered,

around 336,911 kgs. 496 arrests made across the region over US$ 54.4 million of estimated

black market value of seized contraband

445 Wildlife Enforcement Actions from 2006 up to September 2010

ASEAN-WEN Action Updates

Achievements – Wildlife Enforcement Actions

Achievements – Species ID Sheets

Achievements – Capacity Building in ASEAN

Wildlife Trade Regulation Course

Investigation Training

Species Identification

On-the-Job Training

Judiciary Workshops

Enforcement Ranger Training

Achievements – Outreach and Public Awareness

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National Task Forces in ASEAN-WEN

National CITES Committee

Secretariat, Biodiversity & Forest Management

Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

Malaysian Wildlife Enforcement Network (MyWEN)

Royal MalaysianPolice

Royal MalaysianCustoms

CITES Management Authorities

Anti-SmugglingUnit

National Task Force in Malaysia

Director GeneralForestry Administration

Executive Director

Data Collection Officer and

Coordination Officer

Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team (WRRT)

Cambodia-WEN Support Group,

Donors and NGOs

National Liaisons

ASEAN-WENand other

international liaisons

Press

Legal Director

Cambodia-WEN Coordination Unit

Forestry AdministrationMAFF

Fisheries AdministrationMAFF

General Department of Natural Conservation and Protection, MoE

Investigation Anti-smuggling Section, General Department of Customs and

Excise

Central Research Office, Royal Gendarmerie Khmer

CITES Management Authority Cambodia

Other relevant Departments (Ministry of Justice, etc.)

Anti-Economic Crime Police Department, National Police

Inter-Government Agencies in Myanmar

TASK FORCE

ForestDepartment Police Forces

Customs Department

Attorney General

Judicial Department

General Administrative

Directorate of Trade

Progress of Border Areas and National Races Department

established 4.7.2007

SPF(Special Police Force:

Airport Police, Police Coast Guard)

AVA(designated CITES MA of Singapore)

ICA(Immigration and

Checkpoints Authority:Coastal, Ports,

Airport, Air Cargo,Checkpoints) and

Singapore CustomsTip-off

Tip-off

Information exchange

Inter-Agency Cooperation in Singapore

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Thailand National Task Force

Establishment of Lao-WEN (Coordination Unit for enforcement of wildlife and aquatic laws) and Lao Task Force on September 15, 2010 by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Reference 1493)

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Coordination Unit and Task Force in Lao PDR

Strengthened in October 2010 under Environment Department Memorandum Circular 2010-15 for:Intelligence operationsInvestigation and enforcementCoordination with military,

police, investigation bureau, and local government units

Coordination with Environmental Ombudsman, Department of Justice, Office of the Solicitor General and related agencies

Coordination and mobilization of Environment and Natural Resources offices for investigation, ground operations and prosecution

Database management 20

Philippines Environmental Law Enforcement Task Force (ELETF)

Gathering Political CommitmentActive Networking between

Members and with the SecretariatIntelligence and Information

ExchangeCollaborative Operations and

Enforcement ActivitiesCollaborative Capacity Building

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Operational Sustainability through Strong Member Support

Philippines

Program Coordination Unit(PCU)

Senior Officer

MyanmarLao PDRBrunei VietnamCambodia IndonesiaSingaporeMalaysiaThailand

Assistant Senior Officer

Communications OfficerCapacity Building OfficerEnforcement Officer Finance Officer

Operational Sustainability through a Strong and Fully Operational Secretariat

Capacity Building and Program Adviser (Seconded/OJT Officers from

ASEAN-WEN Member Countries)

Financial Sustainability: Institutionalized ASEAN

SupportMember Country SupportInstitutional Partnerships

and External Funding

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Financial Sustainability of the Network and its Secretariat

ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB),

ASEAN Senior Officials on Environment (ASOEN),

ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crimes (SOMTC),

ASEANAPOL

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Strong Links within ASEAN

ASEAN SENIOR OFFICIALS ON ENVIRONMENT (ASOEN), ASEAN SENIOR OFFICIALS MEETING ON TRANSNATIONAL CRIMES (SOMTC)

ASEANAPOL – ASEAN ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE

International OrganizationsCITESINTERPOLWCO

Other Regional NetworksLusaka Agreement Task

Force (LATF)SAWEN

Other CountriesChina

Other Relevant Organizations

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Active Networking outside the Network

ASEAN-WEN

Next Steps

Sustainable

Strong PCU

10 ASEAN Member Countries10 ASEAN Member Countries

PolicePolice CustomsCustoms CITES CITES AgenciesAgencies

Other relevant Other relevant wildlife wildlife enforcement enforcement agenciesagencies

Strong National Task Forces/Wildlife Enforcement Networks

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Localizing with its 10 ASEAN Localizing with its 10 ASEAN Member CountriesMember Countries

Establishing national task forces/ Establishing national task forces/ national wildlife enforcement national wildlife enforcement networksnetworks

PolicePolice CustomsCustoms CITES CITES AgenciesAgencies

Other relevant Other relevant wildlife wildlife enforcement enforcement agenciesagencies

Co-Regionalizing with other Co-Regionalizing with other WEN’s and other CountriesWEN’s and other Countries

ASIA-WENASIA-WEN

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Strengthen regional Strengthen regional mechanismsmechanisms

Standardized and localized Standardized and localized trainings and capacity building trainings and capacity building activitiesactivities

Support for inter-agency, inter-Support for inter-agency, inter-country, and inter-region country, and inter-region cooperation for capacity cooperation for capacity building and enforcementbuilding and enforcement

Support for Policy and Support for Policy and Legal Reform Legal Reform

Public Awareness and Public Awareness and Information CampaignsInformation Campaigns

With strong With strong POLITICAL POLITICAL

COMMITMENTCOMMITMENT

a WIN-WIN a WIN-WIN SituationSituation

Let us bring the environmental leaders of Asia together to go beyond national and sub-regional efforts. Let us build upon the success of the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) and reach out to all of Asia in this effort to develop a region wide effort to protect our endangered species… Looking ahead, we need to start exploring how to take ASEAN-WEN to a new level. We hope you will help us make it stronger and sustainable.

Dr Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary General Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

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Thank you

ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN)Program Coordination Unit

c/o Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation

Ground Floor, Piroj Suvanakorn Building61 Phaholyothin Road, Chatuchak,

Bangkok 10900, ThailandTel/Fax. +662 940 63 81

pcu@asean-wen.org, www.asean-wen.org