UNTOC Resolution 12/4, entitled “Enhancing measures to prevent and combat crimes that affect the environment falling within the scope of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime,” adopted at the 12th session of the Conference of the Parties (CoP), mandates the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to convene an Open-ended intergovernmental expert group on crimes that affect the environment falling within the scope of the UNTOC.

This is the first time an UNTOC CoP Resolution has requests States to consider an additional protocol on crimes that affect the environment. It follows Resolution 31/1 of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ), which, inter alia, invites Member States to provide their views on possible responses, including the potential of an additional protocol to the UNTOC, to address any gaps that may exist in the current international legal framework to prevent and combat illicit trafficking in wildlife.

Against this background, this Expert Group meeting aims to:

Stocktaking of the application and collective implementation of the UNTOC in addressing crimes that affect the environment falling within the scope of the Convention and related offences covered by the Convention.

Identification of any gaps that may exist in the international legal framework that could be addressed under the UNTOC to prevent and combat crimes that affect the environment falling within the scope of the Convention and related offences covered by the Convention.

Consideration of possible responses to the gaps identified, including the possibility, feasibility and merits of any additional protocol to the Organized Crime Convention.

IUCN and its World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL) will participate in the meeting, contributing its legal and policy expertise. Through this process, IUCN aims to support international efforts and strengthen legal frameworks by advocating for nature and biodiversity protection to be central, supporting nature-based governance responses to environmental crime, and ensuring justice for communities affected by such crimes.

This engagement builds on IUCN’s longstanding commitment to addressing environmental crimes, as set out in numerous Resolutions and Recommendations adopted by its Members. These include calls to treat organized crime impacting the environment as a serious crime (Resolution 7.038), combat wildlife trafficking (Resolutions 7.040, 7.047, 7.054, 7.059, 7.090 and 7.103), strengthen mechanisms to fight environmental crime (Resolutions 6.070 and 6.076), including during armed conflicts (Resolutions 7.042 and 4.097), and incorporate human rights perspectives (Resolution 7.115 and 5.025).