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Background:
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ASEAN-WEN is an outgrowth of Objective Two of the ASEAN Regional Action Plan on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora (2005-2010). This Objective is stated to:
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“Promote networking amongst relevant law enforcement authorities in ASEAN countries to curb illegal trade in wild fauna and flora via the following Action Points(?):
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• establishing inter-agency committees at national levels to ensure coordination and collaboration between law enforcement officials on trade in wild fauna and flora;
• establishing an ASEAN CITES Enforcement Task Force [within each member country] for exchange of law enforcement information regarding trade in wild fauna and flora, and to coordinate regional participation in the Interpol Wildlife Crime Working Group;
• promoting collaborative capacity-building efforts for improved law enforcement.”
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| Thailand has committed to be a lead country for Action Points under Objective Two. In October 2005, the Thai government hosted a regional workshop where senior CITES officials from ASEAN countries agreed to a draft Terms of Reference that laid the groundwork for an ASEAN CITES Enforcement Task Force (known as the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network or ASEAN-WEN). On December 1, 2005 Thailand hosted the official launch of ASEAN-WEN. Thailand has since developed its own inter-agency committee at the national level to coordinate collaboration among government agencies and non-governmental organizations to curb illegal wildlife trade. Furthermore, Thailand is hosting an “International Executive Seminar on Implementing ASEAN-WEN” and the first official ASEAN-WEN meeting in Bangkok May 22-25, 2006. |
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The Development of ASEAN-WEN Programme Coordination Unit
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Although ASEAN-WEN is off to a solid start with promising prospects for its development region-wide, it lacks an official coordinating body to facilitate certain administrative and technical aspects of continued programme development. It is therefore proposed that an ASEAN-WEN Programme Coordination Unit be created and attached either to the ASEAN Secretariat or a select national agency with strong links to other relevant agencies involved (especially Police, Customs and CITES) and the ASEAN Secretariat.
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| Functions of an ASEAN-WEN Programme Coordination Unit |
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The ASEAN-WEN Programme Coordinating Unit (PCU) would facilitate and, when necessary, help coordinate technical support for ASEAN-WEN at the national and regional levels. Specifically, the main functions of such a Programme Coordinating Unit could include:
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• Coordinating and facilitating technical support to ASEAN-WEN member countries and their respective national task forces in support of anti-wildlife trafficking activities (e.g, needs assessments, training courses, etc);
• Providing support for implementing the decisions of the Regional Network, including the convening of ASEAN-WEN meetings, seminars, workshops, exchanges, and training programs;
• Creating and managing an ASEAN-WEN web site (or web pages of a larger ASEAN Secretariat site). This site should include: an overview of ASEAN-WEN activities, publications, contact list, etc. Such a site could also function as a “confidential portal” to be used by government agencies for sharing training materials and information and intelligence about violations and violators of wildlife trade laws;
• Facilitating regional sharing and exchange of best practices and lessons learned amongst ASEAN-WEN member countries;
• Coordinating with ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN Member Countries, international organizations and donor agencies to facilitate technical and financial support for the development of ASEAN-WEN.
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Resources and Office Infrastructure:
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It is envisaged that an ASEAN-WEN Programme Coordination Unit (PCU) would require the following resources and infrastructure:
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• 1 full time ASEAN-WEN PCU Sr. Officer
• 1 full time Assistant to Sr. Officer
• 1 full time Administrator
• Office Space for 6 work stations (It is expected that the ASEAN-WEN PCU will be able to house about 3 temporary regional and international experts/consultants in addition to 3 permanent staff)
• 6 work stations, including desks and computers for each station;
• ADSL, T1, cable modem, or other fast dedicated internet connection
• Fax land line
• Phone land line, with at least one rollover number
• Access to a meeting room
• One laptop and LCD projector for presentation purposes
• 1 dedicated secure computer server to archive sensitive information
• Photocopier
• Printers
• Filing cabinets, shelves
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Advancing the Concept of ASEAN-WEN Programme Coordination Unit
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The first step should be to explore interest in this concept from the ASEAN Secretariat, Royal Thai Government, and ASEAN Member Countries. The International Executive Seminar on ASEAN-WEN and ASEAN-WEN Meeting set for May 22-25, 2006 in Bangkok could provide the opportunity for such a discussion to commence.
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