Drugs Crime and Terrorism
Introduction
The Earth is facing a triple planetary crisis – climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. One aspect of combating this crisis is protecting the planet through the criminalization of acts that harm the environment. Some international organizations and studies have called for legislative frameworks to be improved and for crimes that affect the environment to be defined as serious and/or organized crimes. United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/76/185 also “calls upon Member States to make crimes that affect the environment, where appropriate, serious crimes”. Criminalization can be an important symbol that certain actions are prohibited. Having higher penalties for crimes can not only dissuade potential and repeat offenders, it can also broaden the range of investigative tools and resources for law enforcement. In particular, if the offence is punishable by a maximum deprivation of liberty of at least four years or a more serious penalty, this enables parties to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) to apply extradition and mutual legal assistance.
Actors
A diverse array of actors is involved in forest crimes, ranging from traditional organized crime groups to actors in the legal economy and individuals.
Global timber production (logging)
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), global timber production is at a record level and is likely to keep rising.
Conclusions and policy implications
As this review of legislation has shown, there is a certain level of criminalization to protect the environment, with more than half of all Member States analysed criminalizing criminalizing violations of all nine environmental areas. Yet, there is still scope for environmental legislation to continue to be improved in terms of more Member States drafting and implementing legislation to protect the environment and more Member States considering having penalties that meet the threshold of a serious crime for the purposes of UNTOC. Nevertheless, today, in most countries in the world, violations of environmental legislation can result in a prison sentence. Violations of waste offences and wildlife offences have the highest levels of criminalization, perhaps due to the existence of international conventions relevant to these areas. Waste crime is also an area where the liability of legal persons (such as corporations) is recognized in over three-quarters of countries. In contrast, only 19 countries have known liability for legal persons regarding illegal fishing and 20 for illegal logging, two crimes in which corporate malfeasance is common, indicating economic interests may be blocking efforts to better protect the environment.
Introduction
In the last 50 years, nature has changed at a rate unprecedented in human history.
Addressing illegality through regulation
Market regulations have expanded in recent decades to reduce the share of illegally sourced products (laundered) in international trade.
Acknowledgements
The Global Analysis on Crimes that Affect the Environment – Part 2b: Mineral Crimes: Illegal Gold Mining was prepared by the Research and Trend Analysis Branch, Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), under the supervision of Candice Welsch, Director of the Division, and Angela Me, Chief, Research and Trend Analysis Branch, and the coordination of Anja Korenblik, Chief, Geospatial Analysis and Programme Delivery Section.
Acknowledgements
The Global Analysis on Crimes that Affect the Environment – Part 2a: Forest Crimes: Illegal Deforestation and Logging was prepared by Research and Trend Analysis Branch, Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), under the supervision of Candice Welsch, Director of the Division, and Angela Me, Chief, Research and Trend Analysis Branch, and the coordination of Anja Korenblik, Chief, Geospatial Analysis and Programme Delivery Section.
Preface
Every year, the World Drug Report aims to provide an accurate, scientific and impartial overview of drug trends and patterns around the world.
Explanatory notes
The designations employed and the presentation of the material in the World Drug Report do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.