Fighting environmental crime and protecting the environment: UNEP's Green Customs Initiative

摘要

Environmental crime is a big and increasingly lucrative business - a multi-billion dollar global enterprise. Local and international crime syndicates worldwide earn an estimated 22-31 billion US dollars dollars per year from hazardous waste dumping, smuggling of proscribed hazardous materials, and exploitation and trafficking of protected natural resources. Illegal trade in commodities such as ozone depleting substances (ODS), toxic chemicals, hazardous waste and endangered species is an international problem with serious consequences. It directly threatens human health and the environment, contributes to species loss, and results in decreased revenues for governments. Illegal trade in environmentally sensitive commodities strengthens criminal organizations that also traffic in drugs, weapons and prostitution. It seriously undermines the effectiveness of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) by circumventing agreed rules and procedures. National and international regimes for integrated chemical management rely on customs authorities to monitor and control flows of regulated chemicals across borders. International agreements related to chemical management often restrict specific chemicals' supply and demand at the national level; some agreements concern phase-outs of harmful substances. Where illegal trade occurs, incentives for chemicals control and phase-outs established in MEAs are considerably weakened. National customs authorities need the capacity to monitor the chemicals covered by MEAs.