USAID Wildlife Asia introduces CWT to Rosewood Dialogue

USAID Wildlife Asia introduces CWT to Rosewood Dialogue
Thai Minister General Surasak Karnjanarat with AIPA Secretary General Isra Sunthornvut and delegates from Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Vietnam and China. Photo: Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation
Hosted by Thailand Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in March, NGOs and development partners from Greater Mekong countries participated at the 3rd Regional Dialogue on Preventing Illegal Logging and Trade of Siamese Rosewood. USAID Wildlife Asia led a Counter Wildlife Trafficking (CWT) policy and legislation review and political will-building session.

Recommendations include creating a special task force under the ASEAN Working Group on Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) and Wildlife Enforcement, and expansion of the Rosewood Dialogue to a broader CWT Dialogue with UWA as a leading partner. Later in April, USAID Wildlife Asia co-facilitated the “Special Session on CWT” organized by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), Thailand, to provide technical inputs to the draft revision of the wildlife act (WARPA 1992) currently under consideration. The NLA utilized the USAID-supported “ASEAN Handbook on Legal Cooperation to Combat Wildlife Crime” A specialized session with members of parliament will be convened to review draft laws and consider innovative provisions, which can support law enforcement efforts. The review team includes NLA members and representatives from USAID Wildlife Asia and ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA).