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What is ASEAN-WEN? PDF Print E-mail
ASEAN-WEN stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ Wildlife Enforcement Network.  It is the world’s largest wildlife law enforcement network that involves police, customs and environment agencies of all 10 ASEAN countries – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand. ASEAN-WEN is:
 
  • A regional INTERGOVERNMENTAL law-enforcement network designed to combat the illegal wildlife trade
  • A proactive response to Southeast Asia’s alarming levels of wildlife trafficking and loss
  • A mechanism by which countries can share information and learn from each other's best practices
 
Through annual meetings, workshops and trainings, ASEAN-WEN facilitates increased capacity and better coordination and collaboration of law enforcement agencies between Southeast Asian countries, regionally and globally. Links with the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) offices, Interpol, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Justice and other wildlife law enforcement groups has broadened the Network's reach. Along with an increase in ASEAN-WEN's visibility, the region has also experienced a recent increase in wildlife law enforcement actions in Southeast Asia.
 
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ASEAN-WEN receives support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and U.S. Department of State, as well as in-kind donations from ASEAN Member Countries.
 

ASEAN-WEN TIMELINE

11 October 2004:  The ASEAN Statement on CITES - by the ASEAN Ministers Responsible for the Implementation of CITES, expressed the commitment of ASEAN Member Countries to cooperate on improved implementation of the Convention, including law enforcement. All ASEAN Member Countries are signatories to the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).  The Joint Press Statement and the ASEAN Statement on CITES is available in the ASEAN Website.

 3 May 2005: The ASEAN Regional Action Plan on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora (2005-2010) developed and adopted by the Special Meeting of the ASEAN Experts Group on CITES (AEG-CITES) on - in Jakarta.

 18-20 August 2005:  The Action Plan was endorsed by the 8th Meeting of the ASEAN Senior Officials on Forestry (ASOF), Phnom Penh.

29 September 2005:  The ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) expressed their full support for the ASEAN Regional Action Plan on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora (2005-2010) through the Joint Press Statement at the 27th Meeting of AMAF, Tagaytay City, Philippines.

 1 December 2005:  The ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) is an outgrowth of Objective 2 of the ASEAN Regional Action Plan on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora (2005-2010). The aim of Objective Two is to:

 “Promote networking among relevant law enforcement authorities in ASEAN countries to curb illegal trade in wild fauna and flora by:
(i)  establishing inter-agency committees at national levels to ensure coordination and collaboration between law enforcement officials on trade in wild fauna and flora;
(ii)  establishing an ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network for exchange of law enforcement information regarding trade in wild fauna and flora, and to coordinate regional participation in the INTERPOL Wildlife Crime Working Group;
(iii)  promoting collaborative capacity-building efforts for improved law enforcement”

 In implementing the Objective Two, the Special Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers Responsible for the Implementation of CITES launched the ASEAN Wildlife Law Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN), previously referred to in the Regional Action Plan as the ASEAN CITES Enforcement Task Force.

 The launch of ASEAN-WEN was posted in the ASEAN Bulletin December 2005. The Joint Press Statement  and the ASEAN Statement on the launch of the ASEAN-WEN were also posted on the ASEAN website.

25 May 2006:  The Royal Government of Thailand as the designated lead country for the implementation of Objective Two of the Regional Action Plan, hosted the First Meeting of the ASEAN-WEN in Bangkok to finalize the Terms of Reference (TOR) and to discuss a proposal to establish a Programme Coordination Unit (PCU) to support the work of the ASEAN-WEN and the required key actions to implement/operationalize the ASEAN-WEN. ASEAN Member Countries agreed to allocate necessary financial and human resources, and to collaborate in cross-border cooperation and coordination to ensure the effective enforcement of legislation governing conservation, trade and sustainable use of wild fauna and flora.

In May 2007, a Royal Thai Cabinet Resolution was passed which paved way to the establishment of ASEAN-WEN's permanent secretariat - the Program Coordination Unit – in Bangkok, Thailand.