International Day for the Prevention of and Fight against All Forms of Transnational Organized Crime

  Analysis from the Americas States Observatories on the Environmental impacts and transitions across illicit, informal and licit economies in Colombia. Illicit economies have been related in complex ways to the armed conflict and criminal governance in Colombia (CEV, 2022; Rettberg, Cárdenas, Ortiz-Riomalo, 2017). The development of these activities, along with state responses to control them, have had significant consequences for local economies and have also impacted the environmen t (Brombacher, Garzón & Vélez, 2021; UNODC, 2022; UNODC, 2021; Rubiano, Vélez & Rueda, 2020). The aim of this report is to analyze the functioning of the coca, cocaine, and gold mining production markets in Colombia to assess their relationships with environmental damages, such as deforestation . In addition to the functioning of these markets, this research explores the interactions of these illicit activities with other productive sectors that also generate environmental costs, such as cat...

  The first meeting of this group will take place in Vienna from 30 June to 2 July 2025, and may be followed by a second meeting in early 2026, ahead of the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in the United Arab Emirate s in April. The group will be expected to report on its work at the 13th UNTOC COP in October 2026. This new process is the culmination of a long-brewing movement towards addressing environmental crimes beyond what can be controlled through CITES. For example, it builds on progress made at France’s initiative to push forward resolutions on environmental crime that are within the scope of existing UN instruments. Crucially, in 2022, Resolution 31/1 of the UN Commission of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) , tabled by Angola, Kenya and Peru called for views on a potential new protocol on wildlife trafficking to be collected (the first time a protocol had been mentioned in a UN resolution). This followed a campaign led by the Globa...

  Coalescing a more coherent and effective international response was a daunting, but necessary common objective of the government of France and the GI-TOC, who invited a diverse set of participants in Paris for the third security and development dialogue on environmental crime in Paris in April 2025 , with the financial support of the European Union through the ECO-SOLVE project. The event is part of a series aimed at building political will and momentum for a more ambitious global response to environmental crime through the multilateral system . The dialogue series aims to determine shared priorities for action and to prepare for collective engagement ahead of important multilateral processes taking place in 2025 and 2026, with an agenda focused on ways of prioritizing environmental crimes for urgent and collective action at global, regional and national levels to protect both people and planet . As such, it enables participants to:discuss strategies to draw attention to the env...

  ECO-Solve

Environmental crime includes a range of illegal acts that harm the environment, human health, or both, such as illegal dumping of hazardous waste, pollution of air and water, wildlife trafficking, and illegal logging. These offenses can be violations of environmental laws, like the Clean Air Act or Clean Water Act, and often have serious consequences, including financial penalties and imprisonment. Types of environmental crimes Illegal waste disposal : Illegally dumping or exporting hazardous waste, which can include electronic waste. Pollution : Discharging pollutants into water sources or the air in violation of laws like the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. Wildlife and plant trafficking : Illegal trade of endangered species, animal parts like ivory, and protected plants.Illegal logging and fishing: Illegally harvesting timber and engaging in unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing). Other offenses: These can also include tampering with drinking water supplies, smugg...