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The National Assembly of Viet Nam, TRAFFIC and Intelligentmedia held a high-level dialogue on November 20, 2020 in Hanoi (Vietnam) bringing together 50 parliamentarians, government officials, and conservation experts to plan a long-term wildlife legislation and communications strategy

The event, held in partnership with the National Assembly’s Elected Representatives Training Centre, focused on how national conservation laws could be strengthened to bolster enforcement and ways in which communications campaigns could best support wildlife legislation.

Mr. Dang Xuan Phuong, Parliamentarian, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly’s Elected Representatives Training Centre and Ms. Sarah Ferguson, Director of TRAFFIC Vietnam Office
Parliamentarians discussed the need for harmonisation and a clear delineation of responsibilities in future wildlife protection legislation. A lack of clarity in present laws was put forward as a main factor mitigating effective enforcement.
Viet Nam has made progressive achievements in enacting legal tools to end wildlife trafficking; however, there is a need for improvements in some legislation. The National Assembly supports these efforts and encourages government leaders at all levels to come together to counter wildlife crime.

TRAFFIC led a discussion around the application of social and behaviour change communications (SBCC) to support laws against the consumption of rhino horn, ivory, and other illegal wildlife products. SBCC is an evidence-based communications approach designed to promote and sustain positive behaviours by delivering culturally specific messages to multiple levels of society. TRAFFIC has pioneered the application of SBCC to countering illegal wildlife trade in Viet Nam. Sarah Ferguson, director of TRAFFIC in Viet Nam, discussed the method’s potential to drive down demand for illegal wildlife products and called on government officials to step forward as agents of change against wildlife crime.

Despite government efforts, Viet Nam remains a transit and destination point for illegal wildlife trade. Discussion points and recommendations from this dialogue will be collected into a reference guide to be kept in the National Assembly library and used to drive the development of effective future wildlife legislation and communication measures to counter wildlife trafficking.
The event was made possible through funding from Save the Rhino International aimed at empowering government officials to stand against the consumption of illegal wildlife products.
About Save The Rhino International
Save the Rhino International is a UK registered charity (no. 1035072), working towards its vision of all five species thriving in the wild. It works to achieve this mission everyday by collaborating with partners across the world.
About TRAFFIC
TRAFFIC is a leading non-governmental organisation working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Our mission is to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature.
About Intelligentmedia
Intelligentmedia is the first local social enterprise who implements successful Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) campaigns which are used to motivate people adopting and using new behaviors, products and services. Intelligentmedia extensive experience in a variety of sectors including wildlife conservation, climate change, invironment protection and sustainble development.