Vietnam-Trafficing+of+Wild+Animals

1.What sort of government does your country have? -Vietnam has a Communist state of government.

2.What types of ideologies (political, religious or other) influence your country's government? -Government of Chinia was a influence and communism.

3.Which domestic issues might influence your country's foreign policy? -Dislike towards western countries, religious and ecomonic arguments, and legal system issues.

4.What are some major events in your country's history? Why are they important? -Conquered by France in 1884, then becoming part of French Indochina in 1887. -Declared independence in 1954. -Vietnam War -Vietnam became one country, was divided in the North and South Vietnam, and fully communist.

5.Which ethnicities, religions and languages can be found in your counry? -Ethnic Groups:Kinh, Tay, Thai, Muong, Khome, Hoa, Nun, and Hmong. -Religions:Buddhist, Catholic, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Protestant, and Muslim. -Languages:Vietnamese, English, French, Chinese, and Khmer.

6.Where is your country located and how does its geography affect its political relationships? -Southeastern Asia, alongside China, Laos, Cambodia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea. -Easy access to water and water transportation.

7.Which countries share a border with your country? -Cambodia, Laos and China.

8.Which countires are considered allies of your country? -Poland, Soviet Union (Russia), and East Germany (Germany).

9.Which countries are considered enemies of your country? -China, France, Cambodia, Australia, and South Korea.

10.What are the characteristics of your country's economy? -Has been recovering from war for the past 30 years, modernized in 2001, elimiated quotas clothing and texiles in 2005, and the economy us very dependent on exports to countries like th US.

11.What is your country's GDP? How does this compare to other countries in the world? -GDP (purchasing power parity): $246.6 billion. GDP (official exchange rate): $90.88 billion. -

12.When did your country become a member of the UN? -September 20th, 1977.

13.Does your country belong to any intergovernmental organizations outside the UN system such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)? -Nope.

14.Does your country belong to any regional organizations such as the European Union (EU), the African Union (AU) or the Organization of American States (OAS)? -Nope.

15.Does your country belong to any trade organizations or agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) or the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)? -Nope.

Committee: United Nations Economic and Social Council Topic: Trafficking of Wild Animals Country: Vietnam C ITES, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species- 1994, Ministry of Agriculture, April 1997- training for preservation for habitat, programs for breeding endangered animals in trial programs through 2020, problems with people eating “wild meat”, send animals over seas for animal testing programs; main profit comes from the exporting, want for illegal wildlife meat and demand for traditional medicine is devastating animal and plant species within and beyond its borders, TRAFFIC **Quotes**- “The trafficking of wild animals is on the rise, endangered many species that are on the verge of extinction,” the deputy director of the Environmental Police Office, Luong Minh Thao. “We will co-operate with any organizations to rescue wild animals being kept in Vietnam. It is the right thing to do.” Head of Vietnam’s Wildlife Preservation Department, Nguyen Huu Dung. "Vietnam's illegal trade in wildlife continues unabated and affects neighboring countries," wrote Nguyen Van Song of the Hanoi Agricultural University in the Journal of Environment and Development. **Statitics**-47% of 2000+ Hanoians have consumed wild meat. WWF found that out of the 700 endangered animals in Vietnam, 49 are at a point of critical risk. Example: golden headed langur, 68 in Cat Ba National Park-15 more than in 2001. 4000 small and medium-sized organizations engaged in breeding 2 million rare animal species-of these about 58 are listed in the country’s red book of animals on the brink of extinction. The study estimated that up to 4,000 tonnes of live animals or meat, skins, ground bones and other illegal products are trafficked into and out of Vietnam per year, generating more than 67 million dollars in revenues. The largest volume of illegal wildlife goods is smuggled across the Vietnam-China border, with an estimated 2,500 to 3,500 kilogrammes (5,500 to 7,700 pounds) flowing daily through the two major border gates, it said. Vietnamese police seized more than two tonnes of live snakes and 770 kilogrammes of tortoises But the report estimated that the total value of confiscated wildlife accounts for only three percent of the illegal trade, and that authorities are at a disadvantage when a forest ranger polices an average of 1,400 hectares (3,500 acres) of forest at a monthly wage of about 50 dollars The capital Hanoi is Vietnam's largest market for illegal wildlife meat, with revenues of over 12,000 dollars a day