Vietnamese National Assembly members to boost wildlife conservation efforts

A series of High-level Dialogues, disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, resumed today with 50 high Government leaders and officials meeting in Hanoi to promote impactful wild species demand reduction efforts across the Party and Government network.   

In Viet Nam, the perpetual and unsustainable consumer demand for wildlife products like rhino horn, pangolin scales, or elephant ivory, especially in Traditional Medicine, threatens many species' survival worldwide.  

Today’s discussions encourage a more comprehensive understanding of the existing national wildlife protection efforts and associated legal frameworks.  

“With one of the strongest legal frameworks on wildlife protection and management in the region, Viet Nam is in a position to take stronger actions in the fight against illegal wildlife trade. The Dialogue was a great opportunity to bring relevant Ministries and agencies together to redouble our efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade and reemphasize the importance of promoting sustainability at the same time,” said Mr Nguyen Tuan Anh, Deputy Head of the Board of Deputy Affairs, the National Assembly. 

The event highlights the value of the National Assembly uniting various stakeholders in Vietnamese society to tackle wildlife trafficking as a serious and organised crime and build momentum towards legal and sustainable use of wild species. 

To ensure success in implementing impactful wildlife protection strategies and action plans, there requires efforts for collaboration and coordination with authorities and social organizations. Only by working together can we develop effective solutions to combat wildlife trafficking and protect our natural resources for future generations.”  

Mr Do Quang Tung, Management Board for Forestry Projects, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)One prominent conversation revolved around integrating and communicating Behaviour Change interventions to help the Government comply with the Demand Reduction resolution of CITES¹. Viet Nam is a Party to CITES. 

“Increasing anti-trafficking enforcement efforts will have only limited effect unless we work simultaneously to address the persistent market demand that drives this trade. In this effort, we have worked with various partners nationwide, including the Government, the transportation industry, the tourism sector, companies operating internet marketplaces, and the communities to decrease the demand. The partnership with the National Assembly is key to securing political will, determination, and direction for more influencing demand reduction efforts”, said Ms Nguyen Tuyet Trinh, TRAFFIC Vietnam Office Director.  

This event follows a line of collaborative efforts in the country.

Since 2015, TRAFFIC has gathered National Assembly members, representatives of relevant ministries, and international experts to deliberate demand-reduction interventions. These evolved into three High-Level Dialogues between 2018 and 2021 to collaboratively discuss demand-reduction and other wildlife issues surrounding law enforcement and areas for improvement in Viet Nam's wildlife protection policies.  

“The Saving Threatened Wildlife project thrives for comprehensive, systematic and impactful efforts to reduce the demand for illegal wildlife products. We believe the National Assembly to be the most powerful instrument for mass attention and generating high-level communications strategies. Today we are delighted to see their strong interest and commitment in combating illegal wildlife trade and are looking forward to seeing on-the-ground initiatives following this Dialogue," - said Michelle Owen, Chief of Party - Saving Threatened Wildlife, WWF