The International Initiative of Law Enforcement for Climate (I2LEC), a joint initiative led by the UAE Ministry of Interior in close partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), launched today its roadmap for the years 2023 to 2025 focusing on five major initiatives aimed at tackling environmental crime and the climate crisis at large.
The launch followed a meeting of the I2LEC's Steering Committee, which discussed the need for global action, including increased training and joint operations to address climate challenges and combat crimes against the environment. The roadmap will guide the actions and areas of work of I2LEC in the years ahead.
The Steering Committee gathered I2LEC partners and representatives from international bodies including UNODC, INTERPOL, the UNEP/OCHA Joint Environmental Unit, EUROPOL, ESRI, UNPOL and the UAE Ministry of the Interior, who unanimously agreed to the importance of international cooperation and coordination in addressing the challenges brought about by climate change, on a global scale.
The 2023-2025 Roadmap encompasses a number of global initiatives, spearheaded by various members of the Steering Committee. These initiatives include a White Paper on crimes that affect the environment in addition to a global gaps and needs assessment, a UN Climate Incident Observers, a Global Training Hub, and Interpol-led Joint Climate Operations Unit targeting crimes that affect the environment and climate change. Each of these initiatives will be led by an organization member of the I2LEC Steering Committee.
The first Steering Committee meeting took place after several important milestones since the establishment of the initiative, including the I2LEC pledge, which was presented at the 32nd session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) in Vienna where it gained the support of more than 20 countries.
As of Monday, the UAE Ministry of Interior and the UNODC together with I2LEC's other partners will join forces towards the implementation of the 2023-2025 Roadmap. This includes several I2LEC-owned events taking place at COP28 in Dubai later this year, with the aim of driving further international awareness and support for the initiative.
I2LEC is a global initiative, aimed at awareness-raising, capacity-building and research concerning crimes that affect the environment and climate change, as well as the response of law enforcement to the changing climate. (Yahoo News)