South Asian nations vow coordinated action against wildlife crime
South Asian governments meeting at the first general assembly of the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network in Kathmandu on September 10-11 adopted the Kathmandu Declaration and agreed coordinated measures against illegal wildlife trade. Member states—including Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bhutan—pledged intelligence sharing, intelligence-led and financial investigations, anti-money laundering steps, asset recovery and prosecution of organised criminal networks. They endorsed the SAWEN implementation plan 2026-2030 and a three-year programme of work and budget for 2026/27-2028/29, and released tools such as the Zero Poaching Toolkit 2026 to support regional enforcement.
Member states adopted the Kathmandu Declaration and an implementation plan.
Context
The network was formally launched in Bhutan in 2011. Member countries met in Kathmandu on September 10-11 to adopt the Kathmandu Declaration. Next, members will begin implementing the 2026-2030 plan and the three-year programme.
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