Ho Chi Minh City, June 22–25, 2026, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Viet Nam Program (WCS Viet Nam), in collaboration with the Viet Nam Procuratorate University, Branch in Ho Chi Minh City (VPU-HCMC), organized the course module on “Wildlife crime and the handling of wildlife crime cases”. This was the first thematic course in the “Wildlife Crime Leadership Initiative” (WCLI) – Cohort 3, designed for prosecutors from southern Viet Nam.
Participants attended the thematic course, Ho Chi Minh City, June 2026
Twenty prosecutors selected from the two levels of the People's Procuracies of ten provinces and cities and VPU-HCMC participated in the course. Lecturers and experts delivering the course came from the Supreme People's Procuracy, VPU-HCMC, Ho Chi Minh City University of Law, Viet Nam National University of Forestry, People's Police Academy, Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology, and WCS Viet Nam.
Throughout the course, participants engaged in an interactive learning approach that combined lectures, case discussions, and practical exercises based on real cases. They were updated on the current situation of wildlife crime and violations in Viet Nam, the legal framework on wildlife protection and relevant provisions of the Penal Code relating to wildlife crime, as well as equipped with skills for identifying commonly trafficked wildlife species and wildlife products.
Participants practice identifying wildlife specimens, Ho Chi Minh City, June 2026
On this basis, participants were introduced to practical methods for utilizing financial intelligence, electronic evidence, wildlife forensic examination results, and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters channels to enhance the effectiveness of prosecution and supervision of cases involving wildlife crime as well as designing measures to prevent wildlife crime.
To promote the application of the knowledge and skills acquired during the course locally, participants developed their individual counter wildlife trafficking (CWT) change project before the course concluded. They assessed the wildlife crime situation in their respective localities, identified priority issues requiring attention within their agencies, analyzed potential opportunities and challenges, and formulated feasible CWT change projects that will be implemented as post-training action plans.
The course provided a valuable platform for participants to exchange experiences and strengthen professional networks with colleagues from other provinces as well as experts in related fields such as forestry law, wildlife identification and forensic examination, and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. These discussions contributed to enhancing the capacity of prosecutors to handle wildlife crime cases more effectively.
This course module was conducted within 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 in Viet Nam.