UNODC chief calls for using all available tools in fighting environmental crimes

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) calls for using all available tools to suppress illegal activities that harm the environment, UNODC Executive Director Ghada Fathi Waly said at the Financial Intelligence Opportunities to Support Global Efforts to Combat Anthropogenic Climate Change event within COP29, Report informs.

According to her, financial intelligence is one of the most important and effective tools in this fight. "By strengthening the fight against money laundering across different jurisdictions, we can prevent criminals from violating environmental protection rules or diverting climate funds. We can suppress criminal activities that harm the environment and confiscate the proceeds from them," she noted.

Waly emphasized the importance of fighting organized criminal groups that profit from exploiting the planet. "Illegal logging, poaching, illegal mining, waste dumping, and other similar crimes have a significant negative impact on the environment. They are part of a complex illegal economy of extensive criminal networks. Their activities intersect with human trafficking and other forms of exploitation, as well as money laundering," she said.