On June 30, 2026, in Ha Noi, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Viet Nam Program (WCS Viet Nam) in collaboration with the Viet Nam Court Academy (VCA) organized a consultation workshop on “Enhancing the effectiveness of handling crimes related to forest management, wildlife protection, and forest product exploitation.”
The workshop was attended by more than 40 participants, including representatives from relevant departments and units of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme People's Procuracy, the Supreme People's Court, and the CITES Scientific Authorities of Viet Nam. Participants also included representatives of law enforcement and judicial authorities from 11 provinces/cities, forest protection departments, national parks, as well as training and research institutions specializing in law and forestry.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Duc Hanh, Director of the VCA delivered the opening speech, Ha Noi, June 2026
In the opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Duc Hanh, Director of the VCA emphasized that as Viet Nam continues to strengthen and improve its legal framework, particularly while the revised Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code are undergoing broad public consultation, reviewing existing legislation and identifying areas that need to be improved have become increasingly important.
Lecturer Nguyen Thi Tien, Vietnam National University of Forestry shared information on the situation of violations of laws on forest management, wildlife protection, and forest product exploitation in Viet Nam, June 2026
At the workshop, participants received an overview of the current situation regarding violations in forestry sector in Viet Nam, the findings of a comprehensive review of the legal framework governing the handling of crimes in these areas, together with international experiences and best practices in developing legislation to prevent and combat forest and wildlife crime.
During the plenary discussions, participants shared insights into the practical experiences of detecting, investigating, prosecuting, and adjudicating forest and wildlife crime cases in their respective localities, as well as a number of the identified challenges affecting effective law enforcement, including limited legal awareness and compliance among some local communities; livelihood pressures of the people who are in the forest-dependent areas; swift changes in policies and laws on forest and wildlife management and protection etc. At the same time, experts and participants also pointed out shortcomings and gaps in the current legal framework, particularly with respect to the application of quantitative thresholds and environmental damage, forensic examinations, asset valuation, and the handling and disposal of seized exhibits… that may hinder the effectiveness of handling these offences.
A participants shared her opinions, Ha Noi, June 2026
In the concluding session, participants reviewed and provided recommendations on the five articles that directly govern violations relating to forest management, wildlife protection, and forest product exploitation in the draft revised Penal Code that the Ministry of Public Security has released for public consultation. They further discussed measures to strengthen law enforcement effectiveness and enhance inter-agency cooperation in handling cases involving forest management, wildlife protection, and forest product exploitation.
The workshop was organized by WCS Viet Nam within the framework of the GUARD Wildlife project – Global United Action to Reduce and Dismantle Wildlife Crime – funded by the European Union, implemented in collaboration with the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC).