A working meeting of INECE's Seaport Environmental Security Network (SESN) in Accra, Ghana, during 22-23 June 2009 concluded with new agreements to promote regional cooperation on joint issues of inspection, detection and enforcement of illegal waste shipments in West Africa. The workshop, attended by more than 70 participants from Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia, focused on two themes:(1) builidng capacity for practical inspections at seaports and (2) negotiationg interministerial cooperation agreements. Workshop outcomes, presentations, images, and other materials will be posted on the SESN website.

Establishment of Arab Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement (ANECE)
On 18 June 2009, at the Dead Sea in Jordan, the Arab Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement (ANECE) was established to promote cooperation between environmental enforcement officials throughout the Arab world. more information > 

New Principles of Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Handbook Shares Strategies for Success
Designed as a field reference guide for environmental compliance practitioners, the newly released second edition of the Principles of Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Handbook is a unique compendium of tools, strategies, best practices, and case examples on designing, implementing, and evaluating effective environmental compliance and enforcement programs. See the full INECE Update on this publication.

Letter from the Director: February 2009
In a letter to INECE participants, Durwood Zaelke, Director of the INECE Secretariat, shares the Network's significant activities in 2008 and his vision for collaborating in 2009 to further advance the role of environmental compliance and enforcement as a cornerstone of sustainable development. The letter focuses on INECE activities on climate compliance, seaport environmental security, and environmental compliance training professionals.

8th International Conference Proceedings Available Online
The 8th Conference Proceedings give an overview of the breadth of issues discussed at the Conference, present summaries of plenary sessions and workshop discussions, and include 47 papers on environmental compliance theory and practice that support the main Conference themes of strategic program management; detecting non-compliance; transboundary compliance and enforcement; biodiversity, ecosystems, and enforcement; climate change and compliance; and creating a culture of compliance.  

INECE Climate Compliance Alert: New US Law Could Protect Forests Worldwide
Recent amendments to a US federal wildlife trafficking statute known as the "Lacey Act" extend capacity for combatting the import of illegally harvested timber. "The U.S. Lacey Act Should Help Protect Forests Worldwide" presents information and analysis of the potential impact of the new amendment. Given the US’s status as the world’s largest importer of wood products, proper enforcement of the Lacey Act has potential to help protect forests around the world. Further, the approach used in the Lacey Act – in which violations of the law of the country of origin of the timber are enforced domestically – offers a model worthy of consideration to other countries with a strong commitment to preserving forests globally.

INECE Convenes Kick-Off Meeting of its Seaport Environmental Security Network
INECE EPC Co-chair Gerard Wolters welcomed a global group of environmental and customs experts to Interpol's Headquarters on 9 October to respond to "one of the big global environmental challenges: transboundary movement of hazardous wastes." The group worked over the next two days to identify capacity building, informational, and operational needs of developing countries and to select priority areas for enforcement cooperation under the Seaport Environmental Security Network.

Jump-Starting Climate Protection: INECE Targets Compliance with Laws Controlling Black Carbon
INECE is launching a program to protect the climate by strengthening compliance and enforcement with national policies and measures pursuant to Article 4 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change that mitigate climate emissions and enhance carbon sinks. "INECE Targets Compliance with Laws Controlling Black Carbon," the first in a series of INECE Climate Compliance Alerts, focuses on black carbon, an aerosol component of soot.

8th International Conference on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement held in South Africa
INECE held its 8th International Conference on 5-11 April 2008 in Cape Town, South Africa. At the Conference more than 200 enforcement specialists from 60 countries gathered to share successful strategies from around the world and to devise new ways to ensure that all public and private actors are complying with environmental law. Please visit the Conference Web Site for more detailed information about the specific workshops and topics discussed.