The Security and Development Dialogue on Environmental Crime, held virtually on 18 July 2024, was the first in a series of meetings to discuss how the challenges and weaknesses in existing responses to environmental crime can be addressed through the multilateral system.

This series, hosted with financial support from the European Union through the ECO-SOLVE project, provides a unique platform for stakeholders from diverse backgrounds (foreign policy, security, law enforcement, anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, criminal justice, environmental protection, development and business) to share perspectives on the complex and evolving challenges posed by environmental crime. It builds on the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime’s Development Dialogues, which, since 2013, have brought together experts, government officials and other stakeholders to exchange policy and programming views on sensitive contemporary issues at the intersection of organized crime, development and politics, with the aim of strengthening policymaking and interventions.

This series of multidisciplinary and cross-regional virtual events focused on environmental crime aims to provide key expert input – at both the technical and political levels – to align political priorities and innovative thinking with practical action in the multilateral system, and to support more effective diplomatic engagement to address this key global issue. Each event will be held ahead of, and with a view to informing, upcoming key multilateral events.

This report provides an overview of the discussions at the first dialogue, which were held under the Chatham House Rule, meaning comments cannot be attributed to individuals. Throughout the dialogue, participants took stock of the state of play of intergovernmental discussions and existing initiatives on environmental crime in various multilateral forums. Speakers focused on priorities for action, areas where current responses to these crimes could be improved, and debated the effectiveness of the current international legal framework to prevent and combat crimes that affect the environment.

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