Date: 4 December 2025
Time: 17:15–18:45
Location: Saiga Room
Organised by: South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN), Lusaka Agreement Task Force (LATF) and Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC), Nepal
Hosted within: 20th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CITES CoP20)

The Global Wildlife Enforcement Networks: Dialogue on Inter-WEN Cooperation side event at CITES CoP20 will introduce the role of regional Wildlife Enforcement Networks (WENs) as practical cooperation platforms that connect customs, police, wildlife authorities, and prosecutors to strengthen prevention, detection, and response to illegal wildlife trade.

Drawing on the operational experience of SAWEN, the Lusaka Agreement Task Force (LATF), and other regional networks, the session will outline how WENs support CITES implementation in practice through capacity development, joint operations, information sharing, legal and institutional reforms, and coordinated threat assessments. The event will also highlight achievements and challenges, and emphasise the value of cross-regional collaboration to address this transnational crime.

Participants will receive an overview of recent regional and cross-regional trends in illegal wildlife trade and related enforcement responses, alongside good practices and lessons learned from WEN operations. The discussion will explore opportunities to strengthen inter-WEN cooperation through common frameworks, shared reporting tools, and joint capacity-building initiatives, while encouraging more consistent and coordinated donor engagement to sustain and scale WEN activities.

The event forms part of broader efforts to promote practical inter-WEN cooperation and mutual capacity building, bringing together WENs and partners including the CITES Secretariat, INTERPOL, UNODC, and CITES Management Authorities to strengthen collaboration against illegal wildlife trade.

For additional information, we share the side event’s programme and presentation slides.