Global Push on Enforcement of Multilateral Environmental Agreements
UNEP
Workshop and Appointment of
Senior Official on Enforcement
UNEP
Executive Director Klaus Topfer
has
designated a senior level position to galvanize global
support and
commitment to enforce terms
of MEAs and to facilitate work to address
international environmental crime. This
was announced by Deputy Executive
Director Shafqat Kakakhel at the opening
of a UNEP Workshop on Enforcement
and Compliance with Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) held in Geneva July 12-14, 1999.
The
UNEP Workshop followed on the heels of the
G-8 Environment Ministerial commitment to environmental compliance and
enforcement, a focus on enforcement of Multilateral Environmental
Agreements, and commitment to assist developing countries described in the
first INECE Newsletter. Countries of the G-8 led by an initiative of the United
Kingdom with financing as well from other G-8 countries including Germany,
Canada, and Japan provided financial support for the workshop which
brought together 68 officials from 24 developing nations, 10
industrialized nations, the World Customs Organization, World Trade
Organization, INTERPOL, INECE and IMPEL to address common problems in
getting compliance with the terms of the MEAs by countries themselves and
those subject to related requirements, in particular addressing how to
stem the tide of environmental crime related to smuggling of endangered
species, ozone depleting substances and hazardous wastes.
It was clear from the discussions at the meeting that many nations still
lack basic environmental laws and authorities to control import and
export, to make certain activities a crime, to control trade and
disposition of these substances, wastes and endangered species.
The need for collaboration and reconciliation of information
management differences between customs, law enforcement and environmental
officials at the national, regional and global levels is essential for
success. Any major effort in
this area must start with clear expectations for full implementation of
obligations under these international agreements, follow up with both
capacity building and consequences for failure to implement them at the
country level. Those
expectations include the institutions and relationships necessary to
enforce their terms at the domestic level.
Workshop
recommendations included a call for enhancing the role of UNEP including
resources for implementation and compliance efforts, facilitating
communication and data exchange through liaison with Secretariats to the
Multilateral Environmental Agreements, INTERPOL, and the World Customs
organization, directories of competent enforcement officials, enforcement
liaison officers in the Secretariats, promoting national and regional
enforcement networks, greater assurance of periodic and harmonized
reporting, improved tracking systems, outreach and public awareness and
involvement of NGOs and other stakeholders.
Workshop Proceedings will be published by UNEP along with numerous
reports from countries and international organizations.
Check the INECE website for availability as well as for the INECE
contribution to the meeting summarizing Lessons Learned on enforcement of
Multilateral Environmental Agreements from the discussions at the five
International conferences and papers.
For
more information, contact:
Dr. Iwona Rummel-Bulska (bulskai@unep.ch)
Dr. Donald Kaniaru ( donald.kaniaru@unep.org)
G-8
Operational Workgroup on Environmental Crime: Lyon Group broadens mandate
Environmental
enforcement, and specifically the fight against international
environmental crime received a substantial boost after Environment
ministers from the G-8 countries announced a range of measures designed to
deter and apprehend traders in banned substances throughout the world.
The first meeting of the G-8 Nations’ Lyon Group Law Enforcement
Project on Environmental Crime convened in Rome on July 7th
and 8th,
1999 as one of several actions called for by the Environmental Ministers
of the Eight, and endorsed by the Heads of State.
This project was initiated to implement practical measures to
improve information exchange, data analysis, and investigative cooperation
among law enforcement agencies, regulators, and international
organizations to combat international environmental crime, specifically
illegal shipments of hazardous and other waste and ozone depleting
substances.
At
the meeting, contact information was shared on senior environmental law
enforcement experts and information exchanged on several ongoing
international investigations. Channels
for continued exchange of information were identified including informal
information and public records to case specific communications using
INTERPOL and direct law enforcement cooperation under the Mutual Legal
Assistance Treaties and other arrangements.
The role of Convention Secretariats and other mechanisms were noted
to assure coordination and efficiency including having enforcement
liaisons for Basel and Montreal Protocol as is done for CITES.
The need to expedite World customs Organization nomenclature for
regulated waste and ozone depleting substances was noted at this meeting
and at the UNEP Workshop. The
participants moved forward to propose a collective repository and analysis
of data to help identify international patterns of transboundary movement
of waste, endangered species, and ozone depleting substances.
USEPA Center for Environmental Strategic Enforcement and/or
INTERPOL as appropriate will be used to organize and analyze such
information all with the caveat that such information exchange must be
consistent with national laws. Participants
at the G-8 Environmental Crime Project were invited to the next North
American CFC Initiative Meeting in August of 1999 in Washington D.C. To
better link this effort with other G-8 investigations.
A detailed work program will be developed following the meeting.
For more information, contact:
Mr. Mike Penders,
Chair, G-8 Operational
Subgroup on Environmental Crime
(penders.michael@epa.gov