BEIJING, China ‒ International efforts to develop a cooperative and collaborative multi-agency strategy to tackle environmental crime received a boost after China hosted its first National Environmental Security Seminar with the support of INTERPOL.
At the meeting China announced it would seek out and develop opportunities to enhance its international environmental enforcement efforts in cooperation with INTERPOL. To take this initiative further, it was agreed that an expanded meeting will be organized involving all Chinese Divisions and Ministries responsible for environmental law enforcement.
Following the official launch by INTERPOL’s Environmental Crime Programme of its National Environmental Security Task Force (NEST) initiative in September, Chinese authorities decided to organize a National Environmental Security Seminar with INTERPOL and invited the head of INTERPOL’s Environmental Crime Programme, David Higgins, who welcomed their initiative.
“China has set a good example for the entire international environmental compliance and enforcement community and we look forward to forging closer ties and working alongside China in our common endeavour to prevent environmental crime and enhance environmental security,” said Mr Higgins.
Critical issues such as the survival of wild tigers and the protection of forest were on the agenda, together with INTERPOL initiatives such as Project PREDATOR and Project LEAF, which are actively supported by the US Agency for International Development, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The meeting, hosted by the Ministry of Public Security at the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Beijing, was attended by representatives from the following Chinese government agencies and departments:
- INTERPOL Division, International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Public Security
- Firearms Administration Division, Public Order Administration Department, Ministry of Public Security
- Criminal Investigation Division, Forestry Public Security Bureau of State Forestry Administration
- Wild Animal and Plant Administration Division, Wildlife Protection Department, SFA
- Intelligence Division, Anti-smuggling Department, The General Administration of Customs
- Law Enforcement Division, CITES Management Authority of China
- Wild Animal and Aquatic Plant Protection Division, Fishery Command Centre, Ministry of Agriculture