India has officially adopted the Statute of the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) and became a formal member to enhance regional collaboration in combating trans-boundary wildlife crime. This move reflects India’s commitment to strengthening communication, coordination, collaboration, capacity building, and cooperation with neighboring countries in addressing the challenges of illegal wildlife trade.

• SAWEN is a regional inter-governmental network comprising eight South Asian nations—Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It serves as a united platform to pursue common strategies and goals in tackling wildlife trafficking and related environmental crimes across borders. By adopting SAWEN, India reinforces its role in regional conservation efforts and supports the goal of building a robust and coordinated response mechanism to wildlife crime in South Asia.