A MYANMAR delegation led by Union Minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation U Ohn Win attended a Special ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Illegal Wildlife Trade held at Chiang Mai, Thailand yesterday. The meeting was held with the aims of jointly preventing and eradicating the expanding and illegal regional and international trade and markets of wildlife. Current and future works will be discussed and implemented and a regional level joint declaration will be published it is learnt.

The meeting was hosted by alternating ASEAN chair Thai Minister for Natural Resources and Environment. The meeting was attended by Union Minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation U Ohn Win, ministers from relevant ASEAN ministries, senior officials and other officials, ASEAN Secretary General Mr. Dato Lim Jock Hoi, representatives for Britain, United States of America and European Union, Con vention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Secretary General Ms. Ivonne Higuero and representatives from UNODC, INTERPOL and IUCN.

At the meeting, Union Minister U Ohn Win discussed about Myanmar enthusiastic participation and continued participation in the eradication and prevention of illegal wildlife trade.

After the meeting, a joint declaration on eradicating illegal wildlife trade in ASEAN region was made. The joint declaration includes aligning international and regional policies on wildlife trade; enabling effective rule of law works; designate, eradicate and prevent organized crime in using internet as network and conduct wildlife trade; increase cooperation in all sectors and to reduce usage and demands.—MNA (Translated by Zaw Min)