The Africa Asia-Pacific Symposium on Strengthening Legal Frameworks to Combat Wildlife Crime (Symposium) was convened by the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Illicit Trade in Wildlife and Forest Products (Task Force), in partnership with the World Bank-led, Global Environment Facility (GEF)-financed Global Wildlife Program (GWP) and USAID. The event was made possible through the generous support of the Government of Norway, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Symposium participants included senior officials from the national authorities responsible for wildlife and criminal justice in 22 countries: Botswana, Cambodia, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malawi, Malaysia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Thailand, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe, together with parliamentarians from the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Philippines, Thailand and the United Republic of Tanzania.

Participants considered natural resource management and trade regulation, and criminal justice and interregional mechanisms, and identified a series of suggested elements for strengthening legal frameworks to combat wildlife and forest crime and for improving coordination and cooperation.

Sample indicative responses from a rapid survey of 24 participating countries - read more results of the survey in the report.

• 96% have laws and/or regulations to prevent, detect and penalize wildlife and forest offences
• 88% of participating countries plan to strengthen their national legal frameworks to combat wildlife crime and will need external financial and technical assistance to do that.
• 100% require or enable authorities to involve communities in developing, implementing and benefiting from policies and laws that ensure the sustainable use of natural resources
• 75% provide financial and/or other support for communities to raise their awareness regarding the disadvantages and dangers of illegal trade in protected wildlife and forest products and to involve them in efforts to prevent, detect and address such trade
• 88% restrict or prohibit trade in CITES-listed species