May 2008

The South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP) held a productive meeting in late May 2008 which established a South Asian Wildlife Enforcement Network (SA-WEN) modeled on the successful ASEAN-WEN program of Southeast Asia.  According to the Environmental Ministers' Declaration:

“We the Environmental Ministers constituting the 11th meeting of the Governing Council of SACEP, support the South Asia Initiative for Combating Illegal Trade in Wildlife and Regional Action Plan and the formation of South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN); 

Urge to establish the South Asia Experts Group on Illegal Wildlife Trade, consisting of relevant technical representatives from the eight member countries, which would meet periodically to provide a forum for the development of regional programmes through networking, sharing and effective dissemination on knowledge and information; 

Mandate the expert group to develop a detailed work programme for implementing the South Asia Regional Strategic Plan on Illegal Wildlife Trade with the assistance of SACEP and other relevant partners; and 

Request Countries, donors, and other organizations to provide financial and technical support to assist in the implementation of the approved Work Programme.”

For more information on the meeting, visit www.sacep.org/html/events_gc11.htm.