Asian Governments and International Partners to Coordinate Efforts to Halt Wildlife Crime and Habitat Depletion

Pattaya, Thailand, 14 April 2009. The ASEAN-Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) conference concluded on 12 April 2009 with strong commitments by Asian governments and international partners to coordinate enforcement efforts in a concerted effort to halt wildlife crime and habitat depletion.

The conference, “A Forgotten Crisis: Arresting Wildlife Depletion in Asia through Strengthened Regional Cooperation and Effective Partnerships” was held from 10 to 12 April 2009 in Pattaya, Thailand. Participants included government delegates, experts and representatives from 21 Asian countries including seven ASEAN Member States, 12 inter-governmental organisations and 29 non-governmental organisations.

At the conference, participants also made a call to action, with agreement on a new wildlife Manifesto, “Combating Wildlife Crime in Asia.”

The Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr Surin Pitsuwan, gave his full support to this effort of protecting wildlife and preserving invaluable biodiversity in the region. He commended the World Bank for its strong support to ASEAN-WEN to prevent and combat against the threat to the wildlife of ASEAN and Asia.

The conference was hosted by the Government of Thailand, and sponsored by the World Bank, ASEAN-WEN, the Save the Tiger Fund, TRAFFIC, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the FREELAND Foundation.