Panelists from Viet Nam, the State of Sabah in Malaysia, the EU Directorate General for Environment (online) and the Wildlife Conservation Society discussed ways to tackle illegal wildlife trade to reduce zoonotic disease risks.
Bangkok, Thailand, 11 July, 2024 – When wildlife is traded illegally, it bypasses essential sanitary and biosecurity controls, creating a fertile ground for zoonotic diseases—those that spillover from animals to humans.
In a significant step towards preventing zoonotic diseases and promoting sustainable wildlife trade across Southeast Asia, the SAFE project brought together experts from ASEAN, the EU, the One Health community as well as technical experts from Thailand, Viet Nam, Lao PDR and the State of Sabah in Malaysia, to promote common regional approaches and discuss cross-sectoral standards for safe, sustainable keeping, trade, use and consumption of wild animals.
Inter-agency coordination is critical to address the risks of future zoonotic pandemics, and the crime prevention and criminal justice community are key stakeholders in this discussion.” said Ms. Hanny Cueva-Beteta, Head, Crimes that Affect the Environment, UNODC.
Based on assessment visits to over 150 facilities across the region where wild animals and humans interact, and following consultations with national authorities to identify gaps in their legal frameworks, the generalized findings of the SAFE project were discussed by experts to define a regional strategy to address identified challenges.
Experts from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Conservation Medicine, TRAFFIC, UNEP and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) discussed regional initiatives following the One Health approach.
Based on assessment visits to over 150 facilities across the region where wild animals and humans interact, and following consultations with national authorities to identify gaps in their legal frameworks, the generalized findings of the SAFE project were discussed by experts to define a regional strategy to address identified challenges.
“We need to continue joining hands in mitigating measures to reduce future pandemics risks, that we can never address just in one country or region. The EU aims to be at the forefront of the forward-looking responses to these challenges,” highlighted Mr. Andreas Roettger, Head of the EU’s Foreign Policy Instruments Regional Team in Asia-Pacific.
The dialogue focused on the need to strengthen institutional frameworks and mechanisms to support prevention of transmission of zoonotic diseases from illegal wildlife trade, within the One Health approach.
“This meeting marks a crucial opportunity, by working together through inter-agency regional collaboration and a shared commitment, to take decisive steps towards reducing future pandemic threats posed by zoonotic disease spillover events. Thereby, safeguarding both human and animal health” noted Mr. Andrew Sobey, Liaison and Operations Officer (Budget Holder), FAO Regional Asia and the Pacific. “The science– policy – Law interface is essential in good environmental governance and to support public policy decision making that will protect the environment and address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss,” added Ms. Georgina Lloyd, Regional Coordinator, Law and Governance, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, UNEP.
The discussions will serve as a base for the upcoming SAFE EU-ASEAN forum, to take place at the end of 2024, and will set the path for a coherent regional approach to prevent zoonotic disease transmission in illegal wildlife trade across the ASEAN.
The SAFE project, implemented by the Environment Team of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), benefits from the financial support of the European Union (EU).
