South Asian nations vow coordinated action against wildlife crime
Kathmandu: South Asian countries have pledged stronger coordinated action to prevent and combat illegal wildlife trade, including through intelligence sharing, financial investigations, anti-money laundering measures and the prosecution of organised criminal networks.
The commitment was made in the Kathmandu Declaration adopted at the first General Assembly of the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN), held in Kathmandu on September 10–11.
SAWEN is South Asia’s regional intergovernmental mechanism for combating illegal wildlife trade. Its member countries include Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bhutan.
The member countries reaffirmed their strong political commitment to preventing, detecting and combating illegal wildlife trade and related forms of transnational organised crime.
They said wildlife crime poses threats to the region’s natural heritage and biodiversity, as well as to the rule of law, security and sustainable development.
The countries agreed to address serious wildlife crime, particularly cases involving organised criminal groups operating across national borders, through coordinated criminal justice responses.
These measures include intelligence-led and financial investigations, anti-money laundering measures, asset recovery and effective prosecution, according to the declaration.
The countries also expressed their support for regional and global initiatives aimed at strengthening the recognition and treatment of serious wildlife crime as a form of transnational organised crime, the declaration states.
“We commit to strengthening information and intelligence sharing, coordinated enforcement action and criminal justice collaboration among Member Countries, consistent with national laws and applicable international obligations,” it said.
The South Asian countries also agreed to promote science, technology, innovation, research and regional knowledge sharing to strengthen their response to wildlife crime.
Such cooperation will also focus on combating biopiracy, illegal access to biological resources and emerging threats, according to the declaration.
The Assembly decided to observe January 30 every year as SAWEN Day, commemorating the formal launch of the network in Bhutan in 2011.
The South Asian countries also adopted the SAWEN Implementation Plan 2026–2030 and endorsed a three-year programme of work and budget for 2026/27–2028/29.
“These plans will focus on regional enforcement and intelligence cooperation, criminal justice responses, capacity development, marine and freshwater wildlife crime, international cooperation, research and knowledge management, demand reduction, and institutional strengthening,” Nepal’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Environment said in a press statement on Friday.
A South Asia Illegal Wildlife Trade Landscape Workshop was also held on September 10, bringing together representatives from member countries to discuss national wildlife-crime landscapes, emerging trends, enforcement experiences and priorities for cross-border cooperation.
The event also saw the release of the Zero Poaching Toolkit 2026, the photo book A Journey of SAWEN and the institutional film Evolution of SAWEN.
“The decisions have been made, and the direction has been given. Our responsibility now is to turn them into action,” SAWEN Secretary General Krishna Prasad Acharya said.