Ho Chi Minh City, May 28, 2026, Wildlife Conservation Society, Viet Nam Program (WCS Viet Nam), in collaboration with the Viet Nam Prosecutorate University, Branch in Ho Chi Minh City VPU-HCMC) and the Department of International Cooperation and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (Department 13) of the Supreme People’s Procuracy (SPP) of Viet Nam, offcially launched the third Cohort of the “Wildlife Crime Leadership Initiative” (WCLI) in Viet Nam, specifically designed for prosecutors.
Overview of the workshop, Ho Chi Minh City, May 2026
The workshop was held at the campus of the VPU-HCMC with the participation of representatives from the leadership of the SPP’s Department 13, VPU and VPU-HCMC, provincial level People’s Procuracies from the 10 provinces and cities represented in the cohort, national experts, lecturers, and 20 selected participants of Cohort 3.
20 participants of the WCIL, Ho Chi Minh City, May 2026
In the opening remarks, representatives of the SPP’s Department 13 emphasized that illegal wildlife trade (IWT) continues to evolve in a complex and transnational manner, with increasingly sophisticated methods and tactics, thereby requiring strengthened capacity for law enforcement agencies, particularly prosecutors responsible for handling wildlife-related cases. The WCLI is expected to contribute to building a core team of officers equipped with in-depth knowledge, practical skills, and enhanced capacity for inter-agency coordination and international cooperation in combating wildlife crime.
During the workshop, participants were updated on the IWT situation in Viet Nam, emerging trends in wildlife crime, and challenges faced in investigations, initiations, and prosecutions of wildlife-related cases. The discussions also highlighted the critical role of the prosecutorial sector in ensuring strict enforcement of laws on wildlife protection.
Representatives of WCS Viet Nam and VPU-HCMC presented the program structure and upcoming activities for cohort III, including the Program’s key training components for Cohort 3 for the prosecutorial agencies from 10 provinces and cities in the central and southern Viet Nam that have recorded a high number of wildlife cases. The selected participants had the opportunity to introduce themselves, share their professional experience, and discuss their expectations for the program.
Participant spoke at the workshop, Ho Chi Minh City, May 2026
The participants highly appreciated the significance and practical relevance of the WCLI, while emphasizing the need to further strengthen cooperation among training institutions, law enforcement agencies, and international organizations to improve the effectiveness of combating IWT in Viet Nam.
This workshop was conducted under the framework of the project “Wildlife Crime Leadership Initiative” funded by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), United States Department of State, and implemented by WCS Viet Nam.