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

Conclusion Characteristics of progress made, such as in Brazil and through the NIAPs (National Ivory Action Plans from countries through CITES), are that environ- mental, enforcement, economic incentives and development projects MUST be coordinated through a focal cross-agency lead point in-country.

requires strengthening economic incentives, state institu- tions and awareness raising. This requires that plans for alter- native livelihoods, economic incentives, consumer awareness also in recipient countries, along with possible restoration programmes are designed in full coordination with enforce- ment and protection. Once again, specific programmes must be designed for the full engagement, along with willingness and dedication from donor communities to coordinate their efforts through a focal point in-country, including from ODA support, to avoid duplication or uncoordinated efforts.

This requires cross-sectoral and cross-agency collaboration both at national and international levels on information and analysis, prevention, enforcement and restoration of and from environmental crimes. Across theUN, this requires consensus building, information sharing and collaboration across agen- cies. It furthermore requires Unity of Command and Unity of Efforts on both coordination and implementation in concrete targeted country plans. This requires national coordination at the highest level with one lead agency and full coordina- tion and cooperation with other relevant entities; Finally, it

Recommendations

Financial support: Call upon the international devel- opment community to recognize and address environ- mental crime as a serious threat to sustainable development and strengthen the share of ODA to governance and judicial sector reform including to combating and preventing envi- ronmental crime. This should be targeted to capacity building and technological support to relevant agencies, national, regional and global law enforcement efforts against environ- mental crimes, such as information and analysis, inter-agency collaboration, enforcement, prosecution and the judiciary, especially in developing countries and fragile states. and awareness. This requires that plans for alternative liveli- hoods, economic incentives and consumer awareness also in importing countries are fully integrated and coordinated with enforcement efforts. Identifying best practices in behavioural change should be undertaken to reduce demand, including through a Communications Summit to address all points of this trade. 4 5 Economic incentives and consumer awareness: Strengthen economic incentives, relevant institutions

Reduce threats to security and peace: Strengthen the information collection, analysis and sharing, across sectors, in peacekeeping missions, Sanctions Commit- tees and across the UN as a whole on the role of natural resource exploitation in conflicts and security in order to inform holistic responses towards securing peace, secu- rity and sustainable development. This includes integrating INTERPOL liaison officers in peacekeeping missions. threat to peace and sustainable development and strengthen the environmental rule of law at all levels to prevent safe havens including disrupting overseas tax havens, improve legislation at international and national levels, implement dissuasive penalties, substantial sanctions and punishments, capacity building and technological support, in order to enhance the enforcement and adjudication capacities in the area of environmental crime. 1 2 Rule of law: The international community must recog- nize and address environmental crimes as a serious Leadership: Governments should establish central coor- dination and national cross-sectoral plans, with unity of command and unity of efforts, in coordination with the relevant UN entities, INTERPOL, and other relevant international treaty bodies and institutions, as appropriate, to combat the involve- ment of criminal organized groups in environmental crimes. 3

93