Extinction .in

Global alliance aims to tackle forest crime

 
Illegal logging damages biodiversity and undermines people's livelihoods.
 

Interpol and the United Nations have joined forces to launch an initiative to tackle global forest crime.

Project Leaf will target criminals involved in illegal logging and timber trafficking.

The scheme will also provide support to enforcement agencies in countries

with the biggest problems, Interpol said.

It is estimated that more than a quarter of the world's population relies on

forests for their livelihoods, fuel, food and medicines.

David Higgins, Interpol's Environmental Crime Programme manager, said that

illegal logging was no longer a issue that was restricted by national

boundaries.

"The international legislation to protect forests and curtail illegal logging

demonstrates this," he commented.

"Project leaf will ensure these global laws are supported by global

enforcement and that the criminals responsible are brought to justice - no

matter their location, movements or resources."

Project leaf (Law Enforcement Assistance for Forests) is a partnership

between the UN Environment Programme (Unep) and Interpol, with funding provided

by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.

Interpol said: "Collusive corruption and fraud in the forestry sector

undermines the rule of law and... significantly hampers efforts to tackle

poverty among the world's poorest people."

It added that, in order to be an effective force against criminal activity,

it would be necessary for any action to be "coordinated, collaborative and

transnational".