Kathmandu Declaration: SAWEN, Wildlife Crime and Regional Cooperation

Kathmandu Declaration by SAWEN strengthens South Asian cooperation against illegal wildlife trade, financial crime, cyber-enabled trafficking and wildlife crime.

Table of Contents

The Kathmandu Declaration was adopted by member countries of the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) at its first General Assembly in Kathmandu, Nepal. It seeks to strengthen regional cooperation against illegal wildlife trade (IWT) and associated transnational organised crime.

The declaration promotes an intelligence-led and coordinated approach involving wildlife authorities, police, customs, prosecutors and other enforcement agencies.

Key Features of the Kathmandu Declaration

1. Tackling Financial Networks

The declaration recognises the financial dimension of wildlife trafficking and promotes:

Anti-money laundering measures
Financial investigations
Tracking of illicit financial flows
Asset recovery
Cooperation against organised trafficking networks

2. Intelligence and Technology

SAWEN members seek to improve:

Cross-border intelligence sharing
Coordinated investigations
Use of technology in wildlife crime enforcement
Action against online wildlife trafficking
Measures against biopiracy

3. Strengthening Frontline Enforcement

The declaration supports capacity building for:

Wildlife rangers
Customs officials
Police
Prosecutors
Other enforcement agencies

It also emphasises training and safety measures for frontline personnel.

4. Community Participation and Demand Reduction

The declaration recognises the importance of reducing demand for illegally traded wildlife products and encouraging community participation in wildlife conservation and enforcement.

5. SAWEN Day

30 January has been designated as SAWEN Day, commemorating the formal establishment of the regional wildlife enforcement network.

What is SAWEN?

The South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) is a regional mechanism for cooperation among South Asian countries to combat wildlife crime.

It was formally launched on 30 January 2011, with its Secretariat in Kathmandu, Nepal.

SAWEN Member Countries

SAWEN comprises eight South Asian countries:

Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
India
Maldives
Nepal
Pakistan
Sri Lanka

Objectives of SAWEN

The network focuses on:

Coordinating wildlife law enforcement
Sharing intelligence among member countries
Harmonising policies and legislation
Building enforcement capacity
Strengthening regional cooperation against wildlife trafficking

Why is the Kathmandu Declaration Important?

Wildlife trafficking increasingly involves organised criminal networks operating across national borders. A regional mechanism such as SAWEN enables countries to share intelligence and coordinate enforcement actions.

The Kathmandu Declaration therefore broadens the approach from conventional wildlife protection to a more comprehensive framework involving financial investigations, technology, cyber-enabled trafficking, intelligence sharing and transnational organised crime.