Illustrative photo. The CITIES Vietnam also planned to finish a draft circular to instruct authorized agencies how to charge criminals for trafficking rhino horn and elephant tusk by the end of this year.

The conference was hosted by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Vietnam.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan, said that slaughtering and trafficking wildlife as well as demand for wildlife consumption is a global issue, requiring countries to take drastic and prompt action to bring it under control.

Vietnam was committed to closely working with other countries in an attempt to fight against wildlife crime, Tuan added.

CITIES Vietnam Director Do Quang Tung said that this year the CITES Vietnam would also submit solutions to deal with seized rhino horns and elephant tusks by 2015.

The CITIES Vietnam also planned to finish a draft circular to instruct authorized agencies how to charge criminals for trafficking rhino horn and elephant tusk by the end of this year, he said.

Sussan Lieberman, Executive of Director of Conservation Policy for the Wildlife Conservation Society was committed to its long standing collaboration with the Government of Vietnam and other governments around the world, to effectively tackle this problem.

“We welcomed the statement from Deputy Minister Tuan who announced that his ministry was considering the destruction of Vietnam’s stockpile of rhino horn, ivory and tiger bone, telling both the world and its citizens that there was no place in Vietnam for wildlife trafficking or the consumption or trade in endangered species such as rhinos,” she said.

If this decision was turned into action, it would set a high standard for other governments and reinforce Vietnam’s commitment to treating wildlife crime a serious crime, she said.