Decision No. 2329/QD-BNN-TCLN on approving the project "Emergency Elephant Conservation and Enhancing Capacity to Control Ivory Trade in Vietnam until 2020"

Pursuant to …;

Regarding the approval of the project "Emergency Elephant Conservation and Strengthening Capacity to Control Ivory Trade in Vietnam until 2020"

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THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Pursuant to Decree No. 01/2008/NĐ-CP dated January 3, 2008, and Decree No. 75/2009/NĐ-CP dated September 10, 2009 of the Government amending Article 3 of Decree No. 01/2008/NĐ-CP dated January 3, 2008 of the Government on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

Pursuant to Decree No. 12/2009/NĐ-CP dated February 12, 2009 of the Government on the management of investment projects;

Implementing Decision No. 293/QD-TTg dated February 5, 2013 on providing targeted support from the central budget for twenty-three districts with high poverty rates applying investment mechanisms and policies for infrastructure development according to the provisions of Resolution No. 30a/2008/NQ-CP dated December 27, 2008 of the Government on the Program to rapidly reduce poverty in 62 poor districts;

Pursuant to Directive No. 1792/CT-TTg dated October 15, 2011 of the Prime Minister on strengthening the management of state budget investment and government bond capital;

Pursuant to Decision No. 940/QĐ-TTg dated July 19, 2012 of the Prime Minister approving the emergency action plan until 2020 for elephant conservation in Vietnam;

Pursuant to Decision No. 763/QĐ-TTg dated May 21, 2013 of the Prime Minister approving the overall elephant conservation program from 2013 to 2020;

Considering the proposal of the General Director of the Forest Protection Department,

Pursuant to …;

Article 1. Approving the Project "Emergency Elephant Conservation and Strengthening Capacity to Control Ivory Trade in Vietnam until 2020" comprising the following main contents:

1. Project Name: "Emergency Elephant Conservation and Strengthening Capacity to Control Ivory Trade in Vietnam until 2020"

2. Supervising Authority: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

3. Project Investor: Forest Protection Department

4. Project Objectives:

- General Objective: To conserve and sustainably develop existing wild elephant populations in Vietnam, combined with restoring and protecting endangered and precious flora and fauna genetic resources and biodiversity within the elephant's habitat. To enhance cooperation in law enforcement and control of illegal ivory trade activities, contributing to the conservation of elephant populations both domestically and globally.

- Specific Objectives:

+ To conserve small elephant subpopulations with isolated habitats and endangered and precious forest wildlife species in the same habitat.

+ To prevent and stop poaching, harming elephants, and illegal trading, transporting, and storing ivory and other elephant parts and derivatives, including foreign-origin elephant specimens; to reduce negative human impacts on the natural survival of wild elephants.

+ To manage and monitor the national database on elephant conservation.

+ To minimize conflicts between elephants and humans.

+ To establish a national specimen storage facility.

+ To enhance management and monitoring capabilities for natural conservation, elephant conservation, and wildlife protection for staff at special-use forests where elephants reside.

+ To cooperate and mobilize domestic and international resources for elephant conservation.

4. Project Scale: Forests and habitats where wild elephants live, migration corridors of existing wild elephant populations in Vietnam; focusing on special-use forests and other forests in provinces across the country where wild elephants are distributed (excluding the provinces of Nghe An, Dak Lak, and Dong Nai); areas with illegal ivory and elephant specimen trading activities.

5. Project Content:

a) Establish a national database on elephant conservation information through activities such as population surveys, distribution range assessments, natural habitats, reproductive status of small elephant herds outside the three provinces with established projects: Dak Lak, Dong Nai, and Nghe An.

b) Implement in-situ conservation plans for small elephant subpopulations linked to sustainable development planning for special-use forests with elephant distributions through activities such as: habitat and migration corridor planning for elephants; linking elephant conservation efforts with those for other endangered and precious forest wildlife species; implementing measures to improve elephant living environments and reduce human-elephant conflicts.

c) Implement relocation plans for individual and small all-female elephant groups lacking suitable habitats to national elephant reserves and for breeding purposes.

d) Enhance law enforcement capacity, control, record-keeping, and investigation of crimes related to hunting and trading endangered and precious wildlife species.

đ) Increase technology application in managing and monitoring elephant and wildlife databases and preventing human-elephant conflicts.

e) Establish a national storage facility to manage ivory and other precious and rare wildlife specimens.

g) Enhance the capacity of reserve managers and related personnel in information data management, illegal elephant killing surveillance (MIKE), and ivory trade monitoring (ETIS).

h) Enhance community education and awareness in elephant-distributed regions to promote elephant conservation and reduce human-elephant conflicts.

i) Exchange regional experiences in elephant conservation and cross-border issues between Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

k) Establish an inter-agency network for information exchange, law enforcement coordination, and handling of elephant killings and ivory trade offenses.

6. Implementation Period: From 2014 to 2020

7. Total Project Budget:

- Total Project Investment Capital: 50,818,570,000 VND, including:

+ Economic Public Service Investment for propaganda, education, and enhancing management capacity of staff and local communities is expected to be 16,580,700,000 VND;

+ Project Investment Capital under Decree No. 12/2009/NĐ-CP for surveying, constructing, implementing the project, purchasing equipment is 29,618,000,000 VND.

+ Project Management Costs (10% of project investment) 4,619,870,000 VND.

- By Phase:

+ Phase 1 (2014-2015): Total Investment Capital 24,853,934,000 VND;

+ Phase 2 (2016-2020): Total Investment Capital 25,964,636,000 VND.

(details of the Emergency Elephant Conservation and Strengthening Capacity to Control Ivory Trade in Vietnam until 2020 project attached)

Article 2. The Director of the Forest Administration General Department shall take the lead in coordinating with the People's Committees of provinces within the project area and relevant agencies to be responsible for effectively implementing the contents stipulated in Article 1 of this Decision and the contents of the approved project documentation in accordance with the current regulations of the Government and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Article 3. This Decision takes effect from the date of issuance

The Head of the Ministry's Office; Heads of the Financial Department, Planning Department; Director of the Construction Management Agency; Director of the Forest Administration General Department; Heads of relevant agencies/units shall be responsible for enforcing this Decision./.