Conservation community calls on Vietnam to urgently act on its commitments to end illegal wildlife trade
November 15, 2016
16th November 2016, Hanoi – On the eve of the Hanoi Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade, 13 organizations working in Vietnam to protect wildlife and combat wildlife crime have come together to call on the Government of Vietnam to ensure that its commitments to address illegal wildlife trade are carried through to substantive and concerted action on the ground.
The 13 organizations, including Animals Asia, Education for Nature Vietnam, Flora & Fauna International, Four Paws, Frankfurt Zoological Society, FREELAND, Free the Bears, GreenViet, TRAFFIC, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, WildAct, Wildlife Conservation Society, and WWF-Vietnam, signed a joint statement committing to ongoing cooperation with each other and with the Government of Vietnam in efforts to address the poaching and trafficking of wildlife, wildlife rescue and welfare, strengthen policy and law enforcement, and implement behaviour change and education campaigns for wildlife protection.
Furthermore, the organizations are urging the Government of Vietnam to implement a number of specific and strategic measures to strengthen its immediate response to these issues.
“We recognize that Vietnam has already made many important national and international commitments and agreements to end illegal wildlife trade, but now it’s time to turn these commitments into real action to close down illegal wildlife markets and reduce consumer demand for these products,” said a spokesperson of the group of 13 organizations. “The world’s attention is on Vietnam, and this is a golden opportunity for Vietnam to show that it’s serious about combating wildlife crime.”
On November 17-18, the Government of Vietnam will host the Hanoi Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade, the third in a series of global conferences that started with the London Conference in 2014, and the Kasane Conference in 2015. High-level representatives of more than 40 countries will descend on Hanoi, where they are slated to adopt a Hanoi Declaration that will include a roadmap to tangible and unified actions against illegal wildlife trade.
“International cooperation is crucial on this issue that spans almost every country and region across the world, but we also need to work together better within each country too,” said the spokesperson of the group of 13 organizations. “Bringing an end to illegal wildlife trade and improving wildlife protection will take time and require the combined experience, resources and skills of all of us, and that is why we stand together to encourage Vietnam to seriously follow through on its commitments. We’re here and we’re ready to support Vietnam to make a difference.”
The joint statement will be delivered to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Public Security, and the Office of the Prime Minister.
For more information, please contact:
Alegria Olmedo – Senior Project Officer WWF-Vietnam
alegria.olmedo@wwfgreatermekong.org
About WWF
WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. panda.org for news and information
About the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
UNODC is a global leader in the fight against illicit drugs and international crime, and is mandated to assist Member States in their struggle against illicit drugs, crime and terrorism. The UNODC Global Programme for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime is a four-year programme working for and with the wildlife law enforcement community to ensure that wildlife crime, illegal logging, and related crimes are treated as serious transnational organized crimes. UNODC delivers specific technical assistance activities designed to strengthen the capacity of Member States to prevent, investigate, prosecute and adjudicate crimes against protected species of wild flora and fauna. For more information, please visit the UNODC website: www.unodc.org
About WildAct
WildAct is a conservation charity and non-governmental organisation based in Vietnam. Our work is dedicated to tackling the illegal trade and consumption of wildlife in Vietnam. We aim to achieve this through raising local people’s awareness and reducing demand for wildlife products by providing sound scientific information and education program designed for Vietnamese people. For more information please visit WildAct website: www.wildact-vn.org