Partner Coordination
Rationale
Asia is considered a major hotspot for IWT and even though interventions have been on-going to counteract these detrimental tendencies for some time, coordination among Development Partners (Donors, Implementing Agencies, Country/Regional Body Representatives) needs to be strengthened further. This was expressed clearly during the 2019 Special Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ministerial Meeting on IWT in Chiang Mai and was reiterated during the Counter Wildlife Trafficking (CWT) Partnership Forum hosted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Thailand, in September 2021. One of the action points in the Forum Highlights calls for the initiation of consultations to probe for the need and modes of operationalization of a regional Development Partner Coordination Platform.
Consultations on a CWT Development Partner Coordination Platform for Asia
In the context of consultations led by the World Bank, and supported by the the Asian Development Bank (ADB), USAID, and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), surveys were sent out to 61 Donors, 49 Implementers, and 118 Country/Regional Body representatives in Nov/Dec 2021. In total, 35 responses from D/I working at 27 different organizations and 18 responses from C/RB representatives from 12 different countries were received. Questions and responses centered on a rapid mapping of and lessons learned from existing coordination platforms, assessed the need and value of a coordination mechanism, identified the gaps and potential benefits of strengthened coordination, and probed into structural elements and operationalization. The survey responses showed a high interest of Partners in Asia to increase their level of CWT coordination in addition to providing very useful insights on some of the existing global, regional and national level coordination measures, challenges on the ground and practical recommendations to improve regional coordination among Donors, Implementing Agencies, and Country and Regional Body representatives.
Survey Question: Do you think there is a need for a CWT development partner coordination platform for Asia?
Donors/Implementers
Country/Regional Body Representatives
Survey Question: How would you like to rate the value of such a platform to your organization/country/regional organization?
Donors/Implementers
Country/Regional Body Representatives
Next Steps
Survey responses indicated practical needs that can be progressed in the short-term to help strengthen coordination. A list of proposed actions was developed, each with one or more organizations that will take the lead. These actions build on current efforts and should provide a useful basis for strengthening CWT Development Partner coordination in Asia. The survey convenors World Bank, ADB, USAID, and WWF welcome and encourage interested parties, donors and sponsors to actively engage and support this endeavor, and to continue exploring viable options for most effective regional coordination.
