Mekong - U.S. Partnership
Large banners warning against wildlife trafficking were recently placed at rural border crossings in Vietnam and Laos, displaying warnings to potential traffickers written in both Laotian and Vietnamese. The rural border crossings between the two countries are not secured and transnational smuggling of illicit goods, including wildlife trafficking, occurs regularly.
As the trafficking of timber, primates and reptiles is common at the rural borders in Southeast Asia due to a lack of public knowledge, creating awareness at key crossing points is important to reduce the pressure on the region’s endangered species. The banners were presented to local border liaison offices during trainings on transnational crime suppression held between September 8 to 12 and September 15 to 19, conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
The USAID-funded Asia’s Regional Response to Endangered Species Trafficking Program collaborated with United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to produce the banners. Additional banners will be placed at various border liaison offices between Vietnam, Laos and China at future trainings.
Source: USAID/RDMA Regional Environment Office Weekly Update
