The Rise of Environmental Crime: A Growing Threat to Natural Resources, Peace, Development and Security

ment. 40 This language closely matches the language used in S/RES/2195 (2014) mentioned above.

3.2 billion have been approved by its Executive Committee to phase out over 450,000 tonnes of substances with ozone depletion potential (ODP), including the implementation of Project Sky Hole Patching by the Regional Intelligence Liaison Office of the World Customs Organization in the 2000s. UNEP, UNIDO, UNDP and the World Bank are the implementing agencies of the protocol. 38 UNEP has an important role as well in terms of maintaining an overview of legislative efforts, to avoid excessive compart- mentalisation in upholding the rule of environmental law. UNEP Governing Council’s (GC) Decision 27/9 is the first internationally negotiated document to establish the term “environmental rule of law”. 39 The decision emphasised the role of organized criminal groups in trafficking hazardous waste, wildlife and illegal timber. The Council recognised that environmental crime undermines sustainable develop- ment, the successful implementation of environmental goals and objectives, the rule of law, and effective governance. The council also noted that these issues have been recognized in UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/67/1 (2012) and A/ RES/67/97 (2013) which urged member states to address transnational organized crime’s impact on the environ-

GC Decision 27/9 requested UNEP’s Executive Director to improve coherence, coordination and collaboration between UNEP agencies as well as other entities, including, but not limited to, information sharing, capacity building and the strengthening of national environmental governance and expertise for prosecutors, judges, and law enforcement. 41 In 2014 UNEP hosted the very first United Nations Environ- ment Assembly. Resolution 1/3 on illegal trade in wildlife from the Assembly was deeply concerned about the increasing scale of illegal trade in wildlife products, including timber and marine species. It recognized the illegal trade’s damage to ecosystems and rural livelihoods, and that it undermines good governance, rule of law and threatens national security. 42 UNEA further reaffirmed both the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) resolution 2013/40 and UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice’s resolution 23/1’s calls for making illicit trafficking in protected species and forest products into a serious crime as defined by UNTOC.

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