UAE calls for global action against transnational environmental crime

The UAE Ministry of Interior launched the Abu Dhabi Call to Action at the 15th UN Crime Congress. The initiative urges the world to move from pledges to concrete action against transnational environmental crime, according to WAM.

What is the Abu Dhabi Call to Action?

The Abu Dhabi Call to Action is a UAE initiative against transnational environmental crime. It asks countries to move beyond promises. It seeks broader international engagement, stronger joint operations and a higher place for environmental crime on the global agenda.

Col. Dana Al Marzouqi, director general of international affairs at the Ministry of Interior, launched the call. She spoke at a high-level event titled "Overcoming Environmental Crime: From Promises to Tangible Results." The event was held on the sidelines of the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi.

The event was organized with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), INTERPOL, France and Azerbaijan. Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, moderated the session. She stressed the need to unite international efforts and strengthen partnerships among governments, law enforcement agencies and international organizations.

What is the UAE doing to combat environmental crime?

Al Marzouqi said the UAE sees environmental security as part of national and international security. She noted that environmental crimes increasingly take the form of transnational organized crime. Networks exploit natural resources for illicit gain.

She said the UAE's bond with the environment is a legacy, not just a policy. She linked it to the teachings of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who viewed land, sea and living creatures as a sacred trust for future generations.

Al Marzouqi highlighted the ministry's work through the International Initiative for Law Enforcement for Climate (I2LEC). It was launched with UNODC in 2023. It aims to improve operational readiness, specialized training, information exchange and joint operations.

What were the results of Operation Green Shield 2026?

Al Marzouqi also presented the results of Operation "Green Shield 2026." Law enforcement agencies from several South American countries took part, with UAE support and leadership through I2LEC.

The operation targeted networks involved in illegal mining and logging, wildlife trafficking and fuel smuggling. It also targeted the illegal seizure of land in the Amazon Basin.

How is environmental crime linked to other organized crime?

Ghada Waly, executive director of UNODC, said environmental crimes threaten justice, security and the rule of law. She said they are quickly becoming a form of transnational organized crime. Such crime weakens institutions and generates illicit profits worldwide.

She said these groups are often tied to drug trafficking, arms smuggling and human trafficking. The commodities and markets differ, she said, but the criminal model is the same.

Waly said the international community has a strong legal framework. Its impact, she added, depends on the strength of justice systems to enforce it.

What did other officials say at the event?

French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said tackling drug trafficking and environmental crime is a priority for France at the Congress. He stressed the need to address illicit proceeds and money laundering linked to crimes involving the environment and natural resources.

Lucas Philippe of INTERPOL pointed to the operational challenges of crimes that cross borders. He said law enforcement must be able to track criminal networks and disrupt their activities.

Vugar Aliyev of Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General's Office stressed the need to build national capabilities to investigate and prosecute complex transnational environmental crimes. He also highlighted the value of sharing expertise and best practices to curb illicit activities that harm the environment.