South Asia unites at landmark Colombo meeting to tackle crimes against wildlife

In a show of regional solidarity, South Asian nations reaffirmed their joint commitment to fighting the scourge of wildlife trafficking at the 12th Executive Committee Meeting of the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN), held yesterday at Kingsbury, in Colombo.

- BY IFHAM NIZAM

The high-level gathering saw the participation of senior government officials, Ministers, legal experts, and conservation leaders from across the region, as well as international partners, underscoring the urgency and complexity of the crisis at hand.

The meeting served as both a symbolic and strategic milestone in South Asia’s collective efforts to dismantle wildlife crime networks that threaten the region’s rich biodiversity.

The collaborative tone of the forum, hosted by Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Environment with the support of the Environmental Foundation (EFL), highlighted the need for stronger enforcement, intelligence sharing, and regional legal alignment in the fight against illegal wildlife trade.