South Asian nations vow coordinated action against wildlife crime

South Asian countries have pledged to intensify regional cooperation against illegal wildlife trade, with a stronger focus on intelligence sharing, financial investigations, anti-money laundering measures and prosecution of organised criminal networks involved in wildlife crime.

The commitment was made through the Kathmandu Declaration, adopted at the first General Assembly of the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) held in Kathmandu on 10 and 11 September.

The declaration marks a renewed regional push to treat serious wildlife crime not merely as an environmental offence but as a form of transnational organised crime requiring coordinated law-enforcement and criminal-justice responses.

SAWEN is the regional intergovernmental mechanism established by South Asian countries to strengthen cooperation in preventing and combating illegal wildlife trade. Its members are Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bhutan.

The member countries reaffirmed their political commitment to preventing, detecting and combating illegal wildlife trade and related forms of transnational organised crime.

They noted that wildlife crime poses a growing threat not only to biodiversity and the region's natural heritage but also to the rule of law, security and sustainable development.

Particular attention will be given to wildlife-trafficking cases involving organised criminal groups operating across national borders. The countries agreed that such cases require coordinated investigations and stronger cooperation between law-enforcement and criminal-justice agencies.

The Kathmandu Declaration calls for intelligence-led investigations, financial investigations, anti-money laundering measures, asset recovery and effective prosecution of those involved in serious wildlife crime.

The countries also committed to strengthening information and intelligence sharing and coordinating enforcement operations, while ensuring that such cooperation remains consistent with national laws and applicable international obligations.

The approach is aimed at targeting the broader criminal networks and financial structures behind wildlife trafficking rather than focusing solely on the seizure of illegally traded animals and wildlife products.

A major element of the declaration is the emphasis on following the money generated through wildlife trafficking.

The member countries agreed to strengthen the use of financial investigations and anti-money laundering mechanisms, alongside efforts to identify, freeze and recover assets linked to wildlife crime.

The move reflects growing recognition that organised wildlife trafficking can involve sophisticated criminal networks operating across borders and using illicit financial channels to facilitate their activities.

South Asian countries also expressed support for regional and international initiatives seeking greater recognition of serious wildlife crime as a form of transnational organised crime.

The declaration also places emphasis on science, technology, innovation and research as tools for improving the regional response to wildlife crime.

Member countries agreed to promote regional knowledge sharing and develop stronger cooperation in identifying emerging threats and improving enforcement capabilities.

The cooperation will extend to biopiracy and illegal access to biological resources, areas that are increasingly linked to concerns over the exploitation of South Asia's rich biological diversity.

The countries also agreed to strengthen their response to emerging forms of wildlife crime through greater exchange of information, research and enforcement experience.

The General Assembly decided that 30 January will be observed every year as SAWEN Day to commemorate the formal launch of the regional network in Bhutan in 2011.

The decision is intended to provide an annual platform to highlight regional cooperation against wildlife crime and promote greater awareness of the network's work.

The Assembly also adopted the SAWEN Implementation Plan 2026–2030 and endorsed a three-year programme of work and budget covering 2026/27 to 2028/29.

According to Nepal's Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Environment, the implementation plan will focus on several priority areas, including:

• regional enforcement and intelligence cooperation;

• criminal-justice responses to wildlife crime;

• capacity development;

• marine and freshwater wildlife crime;

• international cooperation;

• research and knowledge management;

• demand reduction; and

• institutional strengthening.

The plans are intended to translate the commitments made in the Kathmandu Declaration into sustained regional action.

A South Asia Illegal Wildlife Trade Landscape Workshop was also held in Kathmandu on 10 September, bringing together representatives from SAWEN member countries.

The workshop examined national wildlife-crime landscapes, emerging trafficking trends, enforcement experiences and priorities for cross-border cooperation.

The discussions provided an opportunity for participating countries to compare their experiences and identify areas where coordinated action could improve the detection and disruption of wildlife-trafficking networks.

The meeting also highlighted the importance of cooperation between countries because wildlife trafficking routes frequently cross national boundaries, making unilateral enforcement measures less effective.

The SAWEN General Assembly also saw the release of the Zero Poaching Toolkit 2026, a photo book titled A Journey of SAWEN, and an institutional film, Evolution of SAWEN.

The materials are expected to support awareness, knowledge sharing and capacity building among agencies and stakeholders working to combat wildlife crime across the region.

The adoption of the Kathmandu Declaration and the new implementation plan represents a significant step towards giving SAWEN's regional cooperation framework a more operational focus.

SAWEN secretary general Krishna Prasad Acharya underscored the need to move quickly from commitments to implementation.

“The decisions have been made, and the direction has been given. Our responsibility now is to turn them into action,” Acharya said.

With the new five-year implementation plan and a three-year programme of work in place, South Asian countries are now expected to focus on translating their political commitments into coordinated investigations, intelligence exchanges, stronger prosecutions and joint action against the criminal networks driving illegal wildlife trade.

With IANS inputs