The ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) was officially launched on 1 December 2005 as a regional inter-agency and inter-governmental initiative to counter the illegal cross-border trade in endangered flora and fauna. The network is a direct and proactive response against poaching and wildlife trafficking that has led to alarming levels of biodiversity loss in Southeast Asia. It helps countries share information on and tackle cross-border wildlife crime and facilitates the exchange of regional best practices in combating those crimes. As the world’s largest wildlife law enforcement network, it comprises law enforcement agencies of the 10 ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand) forming a regional intergovernmental law-enforcement network.
| Type | Intergovernmental Organization |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1 December 2005 |
| Location |
Bangkok, Thailand Members are all ten ASEAN nations (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam) |
| Area served | Southeast Asia |
| Products | ID Sheets on Protected Flora & Fauna, Quarterly Newsletter, Quarterly Action Updates, Law Enforcement Training Manuals & Packages |
| Mission | illegal wildlife trade suppression, preservation of biodiversity |
| Website | www.asean-wen.org |
The establishment of ASEAN-WEN was a response by the governments of Southeast Asia to the serious threat of illegal wildlife trade. ASEAN-WEN aims to address illegal exploitation and trade in CITES-listed endangered species within the ASEAN region. ASEAN-WEN seeks to promote implementation of national wildlife protection laws and international species protection treaties, with the long-term goal of reducing illegal wildlife trade in Southeast Asia through the dismantlement of the region’s major wildlife trafficking networks. ASEAN-WEN works closely with the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia.
ASEAN-WEN is currently supported by USAID, the US Agency for International Development. Non-governmental organization partners include FREELAND Foundation, and TRAFFIC, the international wildlife trade monitoring network. ASEAN-WEN has also developed links with partner countries and intergovernmental organizations such as the CITES Secretariat (Convention on International Trade in Engandered Species), the United States, Interpol, the United Nations Office on for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), The World Bank, Global Tiger Initiative, and the World Customs Organization (WCO). The network is building partnerships with China, South Asia,[1] the European Community, Africa (through the Lusaka Agreement Task Force) Australia and New Zealand.
In October 2004, ASEAN Ministers expressed their support for cooperation to improve CITES implementation. In May 2005, the ASEAN Regional Action Plan on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora (2005–2010) was developed. This Action Plan, which includes the ASEAN-WEN, was endorsed and adopted the following August in Phnom Penh during the Meeting of the ASEAN Senior Officials on Forestry (ASOF). ASEAN-WEN is officially mentioned under Objective Two of the Action Plan to encourage networking among law enforcement authorities in ASEAN countries to counter the illegal trade in wild fauna and flora.[2] The ASEAN-WEN was established on 1 December 2005 in Bangkok.
More on ASEAN-WEN’s background and history, please read on the ASEAN-WEN Homepage-“About Us”.[3]
Wildlife smugglers are often part of organized criminal syndicates, taking advantage of Asia’s strong transport infrastructure to traffic wildlife within and out of the region. Governments must therefore mount a coordinated respond, if they want to combat the illegal wildlife trade and protect endemic and unique biodiversity. Environmental agencies and NGOs don’t possess the authority or the capacity to stop organized crime. ASEAN-WEN facilitates a multi-agency and cross-border response, including Police, Customs and the Judiciary, which is necessary to effectively counter these syndicates. US Secretary of State, Ms. Hillary Clinton, highlighted the urgency for strengthening partnerships with networks like ASEAN-WEN hoping to building similar networks in South Asia and Central America to preserve the world’s biodiversity.[4]
ASEAN-WEN is an integrated network among law enforcement agencies and involves CITES authorities,[5] customs, police, prosecutors, specialized governmental wildlife-law enforcement organizations and other relevant national law enforcement agencies from across the ASEAN region. ASEAN-WEN operates on national and regional levels. Each country is expected to establish a national inter-agency task force of police, customs, and environmental officers. The Kingdom of Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia have established fully functioning national task forces. Lao PDR and Viet Nam are preparing to establish their national task forces very soon. These task forces are the enforcing mechanisms of a regional network committed to stopping trans-regional illegal wildlife trade . The concept is similar to already-existing networks dealing with other trans-national crimes such as drug smuggling (illegal drug trade) and human trafficking. Law enforcement officers in national task forces receive trainings on investigations, species identification and wildlife laws to improve their capacity and expertise in wildlife crime. National task forces are responsible for stopping wildlife crime in their country and coordinating with counterparts across the region to stop cross-border wildlife crime.
The Secretariat of the ASEAN-WEN is the ASEAN-WEN Program Coordination Unit (PCU), located in Bangkok, Thailand. The PCU facilitates regional communication, encourages information-sharing, coordinates trainings and workshops, and builds high-level support. The PCU has permanent staff members and will soon second temporary staff (secondments) from national enforcement agencies from ASEAN Member Countries. These seconded staff will work in specific fields to improve the Network’s range of expertise.
Together with the ASEAN Member States, ASEAN-WEN is currently supported by the ARREST Program (Asia’s Regional Response to Endangered Species Trafficking): ARREST is a five-year program funded by US Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by FREELAND Foundation. The program is fighting the trafficking of illegal wildlife in Asia in three ways: reducing consumer demand; strengthening law enforcement; and strengthening regional cooperation and anti-trafficking networks. ARREST unites the efforts of the member states of ASEAN, China and South Asia, NGOs, and private sector organizations. Together, these dedicated people and organizations are helping Asia respond to the challenge of protecting its unique wildlife. [6]
From 2005-2010, via a cooperative agreement with USAID, the ASEAN-WEN Support Program (FREELAND Foundation and TRAFFIC) provided technical and policy support to the development of ASEAN-WEN and its national task forces.
The ASEAN-WEN Support Program has provided consistent technical support to the Network since the start. The USAID-funded Support Program was implemented by FREELAND Foundation and TRAFFIC. The Support Program has helped to conduct national assessments, set up the structure of ASEAN-WEN and PCU, and has provided trainings and workshops to enhance capacity among ASEAN Member Countries’ wildlife law enforcement officials and Judiciary. The Support Program also advised on the sustainability strategy of the Network and international support by engaging civil society and foreign governments, such as China and the U.S, as participants and supporters of ASEAN-WEN.
U.S-Government sponsored ASEAN-WEN training courses and workshops are taking place across Southeast Asia to increase the capacity of authorities, including Customs, Police, CITES, environment and natural resources management authorities, as well as prosecutors and the judiciary, to combat wildlife crime and protect biological diversity. On-the-job training delivered by law enforcement experts assisting ASEAN-WEN is imparting knowledge and targeted investigative support to these authorities. ASEAN-WEN is facilitating inter-agency and international cooperation on law enforcement and working to strengthen laws designed to protect endangered species and natural ecosystems. Public awareness campaigns are helping to increase the visibility of this issue and reduce demand for endangered species. Civil society groups are also being involved to support ASEAN-WEN’s mission.
Trade in endangered species in Southeast Asia has devastating impacts on the region’s biodiversity, disturbing delicate ecological balances and undermining essential environmental services. This, in turn impacts the people of Southeast Asia and their well-being. The multi-billion dollar illegal wildlife trade supplies one of the world’s largest black markets, surpassed only by illicit commerce in arms and drugs. The illicit harvesting of natural resources has been defined as a form of transnational organized environmental crime driving species to extinction by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in their report “The Globalization of Organized Crime- A Transnational Organized Crime Threat Assessment"[7]
A World Bank report from 2008 publishes that the Southeast Asian region functions as a key supplier for global demand for protected wildlife, as well as a consumer and a global transit point - three roles that make the region a crucial area to address in the global fight against illicit trade.[8]
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reports that Southeast Asian countries rank among the highest in the world for density of endangered species. Nine countries in the world’s top 20-list of countries with the most endangered mammal species are in Southeast Asia.[9]
Biodiversity, including numerous unique endemic species of flora and fauna, is part of the ecological heritage of the whole region. Despite laws and treaties, this irreplaceable resource is being sold off illegally to consumers not only in East Asia, but also in Europe and North America at an unsustainable rate.[10] However, law enforcement efforts to protect Southeast Asia’s endangered species are increasing. In 2008, 67 major and model law enforcement actions by Southeast Asian authorities were reported to the network. More than 31,590 live animals and 31,684 dead animals, animal parts and derivatives were recovered, which adds up to over 53 tons of seized wildlife.[11] In 2009 alone, more than 140 reported major and model law enforcement actions by Southeast Asian authorities. More than 26,261 live animals rescued from illegal trade along with almost 10,000 deceased animals, animal parts and derivates (over 268 tons of seized wildlife) during these interdictions. According to estimates by wildlife authorities and non-governmental organizations, this confiscated contraband was worth more than US$40 million on the black market. In addition, the 156 related arrests and 45 convictions across 7 countries during 2009 illustrates improving law enforcement and action by the judiciary to break-up criminal syndicates responsible for the illegal wildlife trade. [12]
The drivers of the illegal wildlife trade are numerous and varied. They include demand for bones, scales and other ingredients for traditional medicines; demand for live animals as pets and zoo exhibits; demand for their parts and bodies as collectors’ trophies; decorations and luxury items; demand for wild meat and exotic dishes from restaurants, etc. In Southeast Asia, wealth seems to be a stronger driver for illegal wildlife trade than poverty.[8] Demand for wildlife has grown along with growing wealth in Asia. It is reported that there is hardly any species of flora or fauna that has not yet been traded for a valuable part of it, and that, the rarer a species, the more money are customers willing to pay for it.[13] Amongst other reasons contributing to the exploitation of Southeast Asia’s natural resources by criminal syndicates perpetrating illegal trade are the region’s high biodiversity, porous borders, well-established trade routes and accessible transport links. This ease combined with low risks further elevate the attractiveness of smuggling wildlife.[14] The rapid development of economies and markets, incomes and increasingly efficient regional infrastructure increase the profitability of illegal wildlife trade further. Growing technological capacity means consumers with computer access can easily procure illicit wildlife products from a growing online marketplace. Finally, poor awareness about the importance of conservation and impacts of over-exploitation has also contributed to the rapid and widespread destruction of the region’s rich fauna and flora.
Main Article: What's Driving the Illegal Wildlife Trade?, World Bank Report 2008[8] See also: Wildlife Trade- what is it?
Due to the undisclosed nature of illicit trade, it is hard to enumerate exact global figures of this trade, but some estimate the value of the illegal wildlife trade at a minimum of US$5 billion and may exceed US$20billion annually. For a range of estimates, see also
While arrests and interceptions are on the rise, they expose only a small fraction of this underground criminal enterprise. Scientists predict 13-42% of Southeast Asia’s animal and plant species could be wiped out this century.[19] At least half those losses would represent global extinctions. Poaching and illegal wildlife trade contribute to this trend. Populations of species of high commercial value have already drastically declined (e.g. Tiger subspecies (Endangered Subspecies of Tiger), the Javan Rhinoceros, the Asian Elephant, the Pangolin, freshwater turtles and tortoises and wild orchids in Southeast Asia.[8] Poaching to supply illegal wildlife trade causes degradation of natural ecosystems and essential environmental services. This can precipitate the complete unraveling of living ecosystems that underpin fresh water supply and food production.[20] With scientists predicting severe impacts from a changing climate, reducing other man-induced pressures on biodiversity and ecosystems, such as poaching, is imperative. Illegal wildlife trade also threatens sustainable development in rural and coastal communities, as it destroys those valuable natural and biological resources upon which thousands of people around the globe depend for their survival and livelihoods.[8] Moreover, human health is endangered by unregulated trade in wild animals that can spread and pass on viruses and zoonotic diseases. SARS and Avian Influenza, for example, were transferred by wild animals to human beings.[21] The lack of health standards within the trade chains increase the transmission of diseases to people, who come into contact with trafficked live or deceased animals.[22][23]
Another consequence is the strengthening of organized crime. Profits from illegal wildlife trade, which now ranks among the most lucrative types of black market commerce, can support other forms of criminal activity. Links are now being detected between wildlife crime, drug trafficking and human trafficking.[20]
With generally weak laws governing wildlife trade,[24] low penalties and limited awareness of the problem among the civil population, criminals see an opportunity to make money trafficking wildlife with very little risk. Strengthening relevant laws and their enforcement remains the biggest challenge ahead. This is the only way to create effective deterrents for illegal wildlife trade and dismantle the criminal syndicates behind it. ASEAN-WEN is working with policy makers and courts across Southeast Asia to strengthen relevant laws and close loopholes. To strengthen front- line law enforcement capabilities, ASEAN-WEN and its partners regularly hold law enforcement training courses and workshops for ASEAN Member Country authorities. The lack of public awareness about illegal wildlife trade and its impacts is another significant challenge. ASEAN-WEN is working with government and non-government partners to increase public awareness about protected species and the dangers that wildlife trafficking poses to the environment, human health and security. By raising awareness, ASEAN-WEN is strengthening ties with civil society groups and citizens to reduce consumer demand for endangered species and combat illegal wildlife trade. Awareness campaigns are also helping to build further international political will to tackle this unsustainable and exploitative illegal trade, and to establish an internationally-linked network trade- off authorities working to suppress it.
The ASEAN-WEN has already achieved many milestones. The launch of the network itself has created a framework for continued long-term cooperation to stop illegal wildlife trade in Southeast Asia. ASEAN-WEN is the largest such inter-governmental initiative dedicated to tackling wildlife crime. Its achievements have primarily been in enforcement capacity building, which is resulting in increasing action to protect wildlife. Species Identification Guides, training manuals and instructor guides have been developed in local languages. These resources are being integrated into national training programs for Police, Customs and Environmental officers. Since 2008, ASEAN authorities have reported more than 200 wildlife law enforcement actions across the region, almost 58,000 seized live animals, 42,000 seized deceased animals and derivatives and have done more than 200 arrests. The black market value of seized contraband in the ASEAN region during this period is conservatively estimated to be in excess of US$45million.[11] [12]