WCS Viet Nam promotes political commitment and strengthens the effectiveness of law enforcement in combating wildlife crime through research, analysis, and support for the development and improvement of policies and legal frameworks related to wildlife protection. We work closely with policymakers, law enforcement agencies, and judicial authorities to review, provide recommendations for amendments, and enhance the practical implementation of legal provisions addressing wildlife-related violations and crimes, particularly organized and transnational cases.
WCS Viet Nam also supports the provision of scientific evidence, field-based data, and international experience to inform the drafting, revision, and strengthening of wildlife protection legislation. At the same time, we promote initiatives aimed at improving the prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of wildlife crime cases through activities such as researching the application of financial investigations in addressing wildlife crime; studying and proposing the development of legal precedents; developing legal guidance materials for handling wildlife crime cases; and assessing the feasibility of judicial models and interagency coordination mechanisms in addressing environmental crime.
Through these efforts, WCS Viet Nam seeks to advance a strategic, comprehensive, and risk-based approach to combating wildlife crime, contributing to the disruption and dismantling of illegal wildlife trafficking networks while also reducing demand for wildlife and wildlife products.
Key achievements:
- Provided recommendations for the amendment and supplementation of several provisions of the 2015 Criminal Code (amended in 2017), the 2015 Criminal Procedure Code (amended in 2021), and regulations on handling violations in the forestry sector related to wildlife protection. (March–August 2025)
- Provided scientific and legal evidence to support the review and revision of provisions on criminal classification, quantitative thresholds, and handling of exhibits in wildlife-related criminal cases. (April–September 2025)
- Conducted research on international experience and consulted with law enforcement agencies, judicial authorities, legal experts, and scientists on the feasibility of converting pangolin scales into individual animal equivalents to support the handling of cases involving illegally traded African pangolins. (May–October 2025)
- Coordinated with central government agencies to develop the document “Legal Guidance on the Application of Laws in Adjudicating Wildlife-Related Cases” to support judicial proceedings and improve consistency in legal application. (June–November 2025)
Workshop on “Enhancing the Effectiveness of Handling Crimes Related to Forest Management and Protection, Wildlife, and Forest Product Exploitation,” Ha Noi, June 2026
Training on “Guidance on Using Legal Application Guidelines in Handling Wildlife-Related Cases,” Quang Tri, January 2026