A recent USAID-funded study and discussions with local Supreme People’s Court agencies revealed that lack of coordination within the justice sector and vague provisions for wildlife crimes in Vietnam’s Penal Code have led to failed prosecution of wildlife crimes. To address these issues, on July 11-12, USAID’s Governance for Inclusive Growth Program collaborated with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Vietnam’s Supreme People’s Court to organize a workshop in Danang on the adjudication of cases relating to crimes against protected wildlife. It focused on sharing prosecution challenges and discussing guidance on the implementation of new provisions on crimes relating to wildlife in the Penal Code. Vietnam’s Chief Justice Nguyen Hoa Binh chaired the workshop, which was attended by judges from around the country.

So What? More efficient coordination in the justice sector will improve wildlife crime prosecution and in turn benefit prosecutorial processes as well.