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News: South Asian countries adopted the Kathmandu Declaration to strengthen coordinated action against illegal wildlife trade and related organised crime.
About South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN)
- SAWEN is a regional inter-governmental wildlife law enforcement support body of South Asian countries.
- Origin: It was formally launched in January 2011 at Paro, Bhutan.
- Members: It comprises Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
- Secretariat: Its Secretariat was formally established in Kathmandu, Nepal, in 2011.
- Aim: It promotes regional cooperation to combat wildlife crime through communication, coordination, collaboration, capacity building and cooperation.
- Key Functions
- Policy Harmonisation: It promotes harmonisation and standardisation of laws and policies concerning fauna and flora conservation.
- Information Sharing: It promotes research, intelligence and information sharing, training, technical support and exchange of experiences.
- National Action Plans: It encourages member countries to prepare and implement National Action Plans to curb wildlife crime.
Kathmandu Declaration under SAWEN
- Adoption: It was adopted in September 2026 at the first General Assembly of SAWEN held in Kathmandu.
- Coordinated Action: Member countries agreed to strengthen coordinated action against illegal wildlife trade and related transnational organised crime.
- Financial Measures: They agreed on financial investigations, anti-money laundering measures, asset recovery and effective prosecution.
- Transnational Crime: They supported efforts to recognise serious wildlife crime as a form of transnational organised crime.
