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The first General Assembly of the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN), held in Kathmandu on 10-11 September 2026, adopted the Kathmandu Declaration by consensus.
Members agreed to treat serious wildlife crime as transnational organised crime, not merely an environmental offence, and to prioritise intelligence sharing, financial investigation, anti-money laundering, asset recovery and prosecution.
The assembly adopted the SAWEN Implementation Plan 2026-2030, a three-year programme of work and budget for 2026/27-2028/29, and named 30 January as annual SAWEN Day.
SAWEN, launched in Bhutan in 2011 with its secretariat in Kathmandu, has eight members including India.
Intergovernmental law-enforcement support body to fight wildlife crime through cooperation, coordination, capacity building and information sharing. Members (8): Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka. Launched in 2011 at Paro, Bhutan
India's statutory agency against organised wildlife crime, under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
| Organ | Composition | Role |
|---|---|---|
| General Assembly | Ministers of member countries or their senior delegates | Apex decision-making body — met for the first time in September 2026 |
| Executive Committee | Principal focal persons of all member countries | Oversees implementation |
| Secretariat | Headed by the Secretary General, Kathmandu | Day-to-day functioning |
Global treaty regulating wildlife trade through its Appendices; all SAWEN members' enforcement builds on it
India's core wildlife law; its 2022 amendment brought CITES provisions into domestic law and the WCCB operates under it
GS Paper III > Environment > Conservation; GS Paper II > Regional Groupings
General Awareness > International Organisations — HQs
Consider the following statements: 1. The value of Indo-Sri Lanka trade has consistently increased in the last decade. 2. "Textile and textile articles" constitute an important item of trade between India and Bangladesh. 3. In the last five years, Nepal has been the largest trading partner of India in South Asia. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: 2 only
Serious crime by structured groups operating across borders for profit
Tracing, freezing and confiscating proceeds of crime
Regional model of cooperation among enforcement agencies, e.g. SAWEN, ASEAN-WEN