Horn of Africa–Regional Environment Centre and Network (HoA-REC&N), in collaboration with the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA) and through its Wildlife Crime Prevention (WLCP) Programme, has organized the 4th Steering Committee Meeting of the Horn of Africa–Wildlife Enforcement Network (HA-WEN) with the aim to devise a way forward for a concerted effort to protect wildlife in the Horn of Africa Region.

The Horn of Africa is emerging as a region for wildlife crime both as a source and a transit route for illicit wildlife products and live animals. Increasing number of evidences show that there is a widespread trafficking of wildlife such as cheetahs and animal products such as ivory, rhino horn, skins and shark fins in the Horn of Africa,  the destinations being Arab Peninsula and the Far East. Until very recently, prevention of wildlife crime in the Horn of Africa has been neglected in most countries of the region.

Through the WLCP Programme, HoA-REC&N has adopted a holistic approach to address this problem. WLCP is working on building networks and linkages across civil society organizations and academia and encouraging a greater role and involvement of the local communities and indigenous institutions to prevent wildlife crimes. It has also taken steps to support the establishment of HA-WEN to facilitate engagements among Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) countries to collaboratively prevent wildlife crimes.

With this goal in view, HoA-REC&N has organized the 4th Steering Committee Meeting which aims to recommend concrete actions such as the establishment of the HA-WEN Secretariat, formal recognition of HA-WEN by IGAD as well as endorsement by countries of the region that were originally not receptive of HA-WEN.