The member countries of IGAD established a new regional network to expand and strengthen their fight against illegal wildlife trade in the Horn of Africa at a November 15 ceremony at African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Ministers responsible for wildlife conservation from the IGAD member states signed a Protocol and Declaration establishing the Horn of Africa Wildlife Law Enforcement Network (HAWEN) as a specialized technical network of IGAD. The launch capped a five-year initiative driven by recognition that illegal wildlife trade is a common threat that has no respect for borders and that stronger, more active cross-border cooperation is needed to combat it.