Viet Nam affirms efforts to combat wildlife trafficking

At the ministerial session, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Quoc Tri presented an overview of the measures that Viet Nam is implementing to prevent illegal wildlife trafficking. Among these, law enforcement is considered a key pillar.

In recent years, enforcement forces have coordinated with neighboring countries to dismantle multiple cross-border smuggling networks; at the same time, they have destroyed large volumes of seized contraband, including more than 3 tons of ivory, 207 kg of rhino horn, 6.2 tons of pangolin scales and 3.1 tons of lion bones in 2016, 2023 and October 2025.

These campaigns are regarded as a clear message of the commitment to eliminate illegal markets.

Alongside enforcement, Viet Nam has improved its legal framework regulating wildlife trade. The Forestry Law, together with decrees, circulars and action programs for specific species groups, has been developed in a coordinated manner to meet the requirements of the CITES Convention. During 2021–2025, Viet Nam reviewed more than 300 species listings under the CITES Appendices and harmonized them with national legislation to ensure consistency between international and domestic regulations. At the same time, local authorities were required to create action plans for high-risk groups such as pangolins, big cats, primates and tortoises – freshwater turtles, thereby increasing capacity for monitoring and detecting violations from the grassroots level.

The implementation of these new regulations helps improve resource management efficiency, maintaining forest cover at a stable rate of 42%. Many degraded ecosystems have been restored, and conservation areas continue to expand, forming an important foundation for species protection.

Financial resources for conservation have also been strengthened. The forest environmental service payment policy currently generates more than VND 3,000 billion annually, directly supporting community livelihoods and forest protection activities. Viet Nam is researching the expansion of new financial tools such as carbon credits, biodiversity credits and disaster-risk insurance. According to preliminary calculations, if the forestry carbon credit system is fully implemented, Viet Nam could mobilize an additional USD 200–300 million each year, creating a stable financial source for conservation and buffer zone management around nature reserves.

According to Deputy Minister Tri, diversifying financial resources is essential as the costs of restoring ecosystems, responding to natural disasters and monitoring trade continue to increase.

Despite significant progress, Viet Nam recognizes that the gap between conservation needs and available resources remains substantial. Deputy Minister Tri called on member countries to strengthen cooperative monitoring, share traceability data and ensure sustainable financing mechanisms.

He emphasized that the effectiveness of CITES depends on the capacity for coordination among countries and support from the Secretariat in facilitating enforcement. In particular, he proposed that CITES continue to support training to enhance the capacity of customs, forest rangers and border forces; while promoting the use of technologies such as DNA identification codes, artificial intelligence and image recognition in specimen inspection, helping reduce analysis time and improve accuracy in detecting suspected contraband.

CoP20, held in the heritage city of Samarkand (Uzbekistan), brings together more than 3,000 delegates from 170 countries and 228 international organizations. This year’s conference marks 50 years since the CITES Convention entered into force, with more than 120 agenda items under review, including amendments to the Appendices for 51 species proposals and discussions on policies related to finance, monitoring and sustainable trade.

Some notable proposals at CoP20 include increasing protection levels for Asian big cats, expanding trade controls for hard-shelled turtles that are in severe decline and discussing a framework for monitoring online wildlife trade – a prominent challenge as criminal networks increasingly move to digital platforms.

Final decisions will be announced on the official CITES information platform after the conference concludes on December 5.

The CITES Convention was adopted in 1973 and entered into force in July 1975, becoming one of the most important environmental treaties regulating wildlife trade. The CoP – the Conference of the Parties – is held every three years and is the venue for decisions on Appendix amendments, regulatory updates and global policy directions.

Since CoP1 in Bern (Switzerland) in 1976, CITES has expanded to 184 member countries, reflecting growing global concern for conservation. CoP20 in Samarkand in 2025 takes place on the 50th anniversary of the Convention’s entry into force, marking a significant milestone in global efforts to halt biodiversity loss.

* $1 = VND 26.403 - Source: Vietcombank.