The Forum on Biodiversity Conservation in the South of Vietnam took place on 2 August in Saigon. The forum, hosted by CBD, for the first time brought together representatives from 15 protected areas in the South, as well as other biodiversity supporters, including Amy Maling of WWF Mondulkiri (Cambodia) and Jenne de Beer of NTFP-EP. A fruitful sharing of experiences took place, which towards the end of the day focused on the role of NTFPs and eco-tourism in biodiversity conservation.

Prominent member of the Council of the Vietnam Association for Conservation and Environment, Professor Doanh Canh, concluded the discussion by saying that the link between NTFP development and the involvement of local communities in the conservation effort is very direct. However, the speaker added, in order to further motivate those communities, there should be much more attention on their long-term security of access to NTFP resources. {Jenne de Beer, Luu Hong Truong}