Vietnam proposes wildlife crime assessment and response initiative

Vietnam chairs the 20th ASEAN Working Group meeting on CITES

On July 31, the 20th meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on CITES and Wildlife Enforcement was held online. Vietnam, as the 2025 rotating Chair, chaired the meeting.

This was the first time in many years that Vietnam hosted a regional-level meeting on CITES implementation, an important international convention regulating the trade of endangered wildlife and plant species. The meeting was attended by the ASEAN Secretariat, representatives from 10 member states, international organizations, NGOs, and Timor-Leste as an observer.

In his opening remarks, Bui Chinh Nghia, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam Administration of Forestry and Director of the CITES Management Authority of Vietnam, emphasized, “Regional solidarity and cooperation are key to effectively enforcing wildlife protection regulations. No single country can solve this issue alone. Only through sustainable collaboration, innovation, and joint action can we safeguard biodiversity for the present and future generations.”

The 20th AWG-CITES & WE meeting offered an opportunity for member states to review achievements and assess progress in implementing CITES recommendations and decisions. Delegates also discussed and proposed policies related to the Convention's appendices in preparation for the upcoming Conference of the Parties (COP20).

Over the past year, despite challenges related to transnational crimes, ASEAN countries have continued to promote their shared commitment to combating illegal wildlife trade. As one of the regions with the highest biodiversity in the world, Southeast Asia is also a hotspot for the trafficking of endangered species.

In response, ASEAN has continuously strengthened coordination mechanisms, conducted cross-border operations such as Mekong Dragon, shared information, enhanced capacity, and supported legal and sustainable wildlife trade.

In Vietnam, the past year recorded positive steps in improving the legal framework, enhancing surveillance, and strengthening inter-agency cooperation. Many large-scale wildlife trafficking cases were detected and handled through joint efforts by customs, forestry protection, police, border guards, and other authorities.

Vietnam also effectively deployed digital monitoring tools, inspected online trading activities, released wildlife back into nature, trained frontline officers, and promoted behavior change communication among consumers.

In addition to domestic efforts, Vietnam has actively participated in regional cooperation mechanisms and contributed to implementing the ASEAN Action Plan on CITES and Law Enforcement for the 2021–2025 period.

Strengthening enforcement capacity and international cooperation

Speaking at the session, Chu Ngoc Quan, Deputy Director of the CITES Management Authority of Vietnam, shared that Vietnam was the sixth country in ASEAN to establish the Wildlife Enforcement Network (Vietnam-WEN), chaired by a Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. Since then, inter-agency coordination mechanisms have been established and are increasingly improving.

Vietnam has prosecuted 283 cases of wildlife trafficking and transportation, with 118 resulting in prison sentences averaging 3.34 years. Notable cases include a 7-year sentence for Cao Xuan Manh for transnational crimes, a total of 24 years for Le Phung Bien for smuggling and wildlife trafficking, and a 12-year sentence for Phan Thi Tam in Da Nang.

Raising penalties, adding legal tools, and amending the Criminal Procedure Code (in 2025) are critical steps to facilitate investigations, prosecutions, and witness protection in cases involving foreign elements.

Additionally, Vietnam is improving its regulatory framework through documents such as Decree 77/2025/ND-CP and Circulars 26 and 27 issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, which aim to trace origins, manage specimens, and clearly assign responsibilities among relevant agencies.

Vietnam actively participates in multilateral efforts such as the Mekong Dragon Campaign and the Ivory II Project to build law enforcement capacity. At the same time, the country is pushing to sign mutual legal assistance treaties (MLATs), especially with African nations, to address transnational crimes more effectively.

The report by CITES Vietnam also candidly pointed out challenges such as limited forensic and laboratory capacity, weak evidence management systems, and insufficient domestic inter-agency coordination. Additionally, international cooperation is hindered by the lack of legal agreements and information-sharing mechanisms.

Mr. Quan proposed establishing an internal ASEAN consultation mechanism prior to CITES Conferences of the Parties (CoP) and expanding ASEAN-WEN membership to include intergovernmental organizations to improve the network's overall effectiveness.

Domestically, Vietnam prioritizes controlling high-risk species groups such as pangolins, Asian big cats, elephants, rhinos, small carnivores, turtles, precious woods, and forest orchids. Simultaneously, it will continue its campaign against wildlife trade on online platforms, enhance communication efforts, and increase community engagement.

In the long term, initiatives such as planting 1 billion trees, restoring mangrove forests in Ca Mau, and protecting 179 nature reserves have been implemented as nature-based solutions. At the same time, Vietnam maintains the One Health partnership framework for the 2021–2025 period, aiming to prevent zoonotic disease transmission through epidemiological monitoring, stronger legal measures, and community education.

In 2024, Vietnam recorded 229 wildlife-related criminal cases, in which 98.7% of the ringleaders were arrested and prosecuted, demonstrating the country’s strong commitment to enforcing the CITES Convention and combating wildlife trafficking.