SACEP forms Wildlife Enforcement Network

Jaipur, May 22 (UNI) The South Asian Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP) today resolved to form South Asia Wildflife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) for an ''Asian initiative'' to combat illegal trade in the Wildlife and Regional Action Plan.

The meeting of Governing Council of SACEP comprising Environment Ministers of the eight member countries-- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka-- adopted the Jaipur Declaration to advance the move on the initiative proposed by India at the last meeting in Nepal last year.

The meeting also asked the experts' group to develop a detailed work programme for implementing the South Asia Regional Strategic Plan on illegal wildlife trade with the help of SACEP and other partners.

The meeting requested the donors and other organisations to provide financial and technical support to assist in implementation of the approved work programme.

The US, whose representative was there in the preparatory meet here, and the Traffic International, an NGO, had assured funding and other assistance, SACEP Chairman and Minister of State for Environment&Forest, Namo Narain Meena, said.

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