and source of biodiversity; as importer and user/ consumer of biodiversity; and as transit points from bio-diverse areas such as in Africa and South Asia to other areas such as China, Japan, Europe, and the United States of America. Regional Cooperation vs. Illegal Wildlife Trading All ASEAN Member States, namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam, being parties to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), have been collaborating and providing commitment to control the trade in wild fauna and flora through strengthened and enhanced cooperation in the region. On 11 October 2004, an ASEAN Ministerial Statement on CITES on the occasion of the 13th Conference of the Parties to CITES acknowledged the need for an effective cooperation and coordination among all relevant wildlife law enforcement agencies, including having strengthened policy, legislations and enforcement efforts in the ASEAN region. This led to the adoption of an ASEAN Regional Action Plan on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora (2005- 2010) in 2005 which specifically provided under its Objective 2 the aim to promote networking among relevant law enforcement authorities in ASEAN countries to curb illegal trade in wild fauna and flora, with Thailand as the lead country to further develop this initiative. ASEAN-WEN In December of 2005, the ASEAN Wildlife Law Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) was launched at a Special Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers Responsible for the Implementation of CITES in Bangkok, Thailand, and targeting its membership as open to officials from CITES authorities, customs, police, prosecutors, specialized governmental wildlife-law enforcement organizations and other relevant national law enforcement agencies. Under the ASEAN Institutional Framework on Forestry Cooperation, which directly contributes to the ASEAN Economic Community, one of the three Pillars of the ASEAN Community, ASEAN-WEN was established as a regional inter-governmental law enforcement network responding to Southeast Asia’ alarming levels of wildlife trafficking, and acting as a platform for ASEAN Member States to share information and learn from best practices. ASEAN-WEN has also been recognized in various platforms in terms of its direct and potential contribution to the ASEAN Political Security Community based on its reporting links with the Senior Officials on Transnational Crime, and to the ASEAN Socio- Cultural Community through environmental sustainability and protection. In particular, various regional policies and statements have identified the continuing role of ASEAN-WEN: (a) Declaration No. 24 of the ASEAN Declaration on Environmental Sustainability in 2007; (b) ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint 2009-2015 under D8 commitments to promote sustainable management of natural resources and biodiversity; (c) ASEAN Regional Action Plan on Trade in CITES Wild Fauna and Flora 2011-2015; and (d) ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry Ministerial Statement on “ASEAN and International Year of Forests 2011”, which recognized achievements and continuing efforts in addressing threats and challenges faced by the forestry sector in the region which include enhancing efforts in addressing international trade of endangered species and wildlife enforcement. In its 1st Annual Meeting in 2006 in Thailand, the Terms of Reference of ASEAN-WEN was finalized, containing the following general Figure 2. Wildlife confiscated from arrested trafficking. ENCOURAGING PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN BUSINESS AND COMMUNITIES FOR BIODIVERSITY 69
In Celebration of His Majesty the King of Thailand’s 84th Birthday Anniversary
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