CITES and FAO hold joint workshop in support of the verification of timber legality in the Lower Mekong Region

Verifying the origin of timber destined for export and ensuring its legality is a crucial aspect of trade regulations under CITES. Most of the countries in the Lower Mekong Region have a general understanding of the “legal acquisition findings” requirement but none have published national guidance to ensure that the verification of the legal acquisition is done systematically and in a transparent manner.

Humanitarian Groups in Myanmar Forced to Go Underground Amid Military Crackdown on Charity

In the country that once topped the Charities Aid Foundation’s World Giving Index, which ranks countries in terms of generosity, the military regime has made it a crime to give or receive charity, humanitarian workers said. Volunteers and aid workers are now targeted by the junta’s security forces under vague laws, and many have gone into hiding to continue helping the many needy.