The Nature Crime Alliance is pleased to welcome Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) as its latest member.

RRI is a global coalition of 21 partners and more than 200 rightsholders organisations encompassing a range of stakeholders such as community leaders, organisers, researchers, journalists, human rights defenders, and lawyers.

Its mission is to support Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and local communities against marginalisation, and in building sustainable, self-determined development. RRI promotes greater global commitment and action towards policy, market, and legal reforms that secure these communities’ rights to own, control, and benefit from natural resources, especially land and forests.

RRI joins the Alliance as it seeks to deepen its understanding of nature crime and the impact of these illicit activities on Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

This is an issue that the  Alliance focuses on through activities such as the Indigenous Peoples and Frontline Defenders working group, convened in partnership with Indigenous Peoples’ Rights International.

This working group has a focus on training communities to use monitoring technologies to help protect their lands – activities that align with RRI’s increasing interest in community protection strategies, including community-led monitoring.

Keith Slack, Senior Director of Programs, Rights and Resources Initiative, commented: “The Rights and Resources Initiative is proud to join the Nature Crime Alliance in advancing collective action to confront environmental crime. Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and Afro-descendant Peoples are on the frontlines of defending the world’s most threatened ecosystems.

“By working together through this Alliance, we can strengthen efforts to secure their rights, protect nature, and ensure justice and accountability across global supply chains.” 

Environmental crimes and their convergences with other forms of serious organised crime are a major driver of illegal land conversion, forest loss, and human rights abuses, as highlighted in a recent WRI Insights article by Dr Charles ‘Chip’ Barber, Director of the Nature Crime Alliance. As a member of the Alliance, RRI can not only access resources and expertise, but can also empower communities to shape solutions to this global challenge.

Chip commented: “Nature crime is a clear and present danger to Indigenous Peoples and local communities. By joining the Alliance, RRI will gain access to a supportive network that can help develop strategies to counter these crimes and safeguard communities’ lands and rights. RRI also enriches the Alliance with knowledge and expertise, and we’re delighted to welcome them to our network.”

View all members of the Nature Crime Alliance.

The Nature Crime Alliance Secretariat is partnering with Alliance members the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and the Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency (FACT) Coalition to deliver a free environmental crime training programme for journalists and communications professionals.

Environmental crimes, such as illegal mining, logging, fishing, and wildlife trafficking, are among the most complex and rapidly evolving forms of criminal activity today. They often span multiple jurisdictions, involve transnational networks, and intersect with other serious crimes such as corruption, fraud, and trafficking. The impacts are far-reaching: from accelerating climate change and biodiversity loss to threatening public health, security, and the livelihoods of vulnerable communities. Despite their severity, these crimes are often underreported or misunderstood.

Accurate, responsible, and well-informed journalism plays a crucial role in uncovering environmental crimes, raising public awareness, and holding perpetrators to account. Supporting media professionals with the tools and knowledge to report on these issues is essential to promoting transparency, strengthening environmental justice, and fostering effective policy responses.

Deepen understanding of nature crime

To this end, the Nature Crime Alliance Secretariat, FACT Coalition, and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), in collaboration with key Alliance members and media associations, will deliver a free training programme for journalists and communication professionals (press officers, social media managers, institutional communicators, and other communication professionals ). The course, which will convene online across three half-days between 29 September and 1 October 2025, will focus on environmental crimes that pose growing safety and security risks around the world, offering a multidisciplinary approach to understanding their dynamics and improving media responses.

The training will explore how organised criminal networks profit from and facilitate nature crimes, and will examine the financial mechanisms that support these operations- such as money laundering, corruption, and the abuse of secrecy jurisdictions. Participants will gain practical insights into tools and approaches drawn from intelligence analysis, financial journalism, and conservation criminology. They will learn to use scientific data, digital tools, and open-source technologies to track crime patterns, monitor environmental harm, and inform evidence-based storytelling.

Build contacts

Through practical sessions, participants will also strengthen their ability to conduct interviews with diverse sources – including scientists, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, and environmental defenders – while maintaining ethical and professional standards. The course will further address the growing threat of disinformation in environmental reporting and offer strategies to identify and counter false or misleading narratives.

By the end of the course, participants will be better equipped to investigate and report on local and global environmental threats with rigour, clarity, and impact. The training also seeks to build lasting connections among participating journalists and experts. In the spirit of applying the skills acquired, participants will be encouraged to develop a story or media product on environmental crime within the year following the course. A certificate will be awarded upon full completion of the training.

For more information or to express your interest in the training, please contact marina.mazzini(at)un.org

Ahead of the IUCN World Conservation Congress (Abu Dhabi, October 2025), the Nature Crime Alliance Secretariat is working with members to get environmental crime on the agenda.

Motion resolution

A draft IUCN motion on nature crime was submitted by Alliance members World Resources Institute (WRI), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and the National Whistleblower Center (NWC), coordinated by the Secretariat.

This proposal has been merged with a complementary motion submitted by France and the International Council of Environmental Law (ICEL) focused on strengthening international cooperation and technical assistance to prevent and combat environmental crimes. The result is a unified motion on ‘Crimes That Affect the Environment’, crafted to ensure coherence, avoid duplication, and elevate IUCN’s positioning on this critical issue.

The motion has already received strong support during the online discussion. When adopted by IUCN Members, it will serve as a meaningful contribution, help guide the work and policies of IUCN, and be a potential model for a resolution at the UN World Crime Congress, which will also take place in Abu Dhabi, in April 2026.

Thematic session on nature crime

There will also be a thematic session on nature crime during the Congress. Submitted by WRI, WCS, and NWC, the session is one of 75 selected from more than 1,000 submissions, and will take place on Saturday 11 October at 11am-12:30pm.  

The thematic session ensures that nature crime will receive the high-level visibility and attention it deserves during the Congress.

Thanks to the leadership of its members and the collective strength of the Alliance, including members of IUCN, nature crime is gaining critical momentum within IUCN, keeping the issue firmly on the global conservation agenda.

For more information, please contact Elodie Perrat, Senior Government Engagement Manager, at elodie.perrat@wri.org

In a new WRI Insights article, Dr Charles Barber, Director of the Nature Crime Alliance, shares analysis on the overlooked role of nature crime as a driver of deforestation in the Amazon.

The 2024 spike in Amazon forest loss, highlighted by World Resources Institute’s Global Forest Watch platform, was due in large part to one of the worst fire seasons on record. But what’s often missed is the fact that recent fires in tropical primary forests are by no means a “natural” disaster. Rather, the conflagration represents a perfect storm of climate change-induced environmental conditions, governance failures and unchecked, organized criminality.

A recent survey of government data concluded that 91% of forest loss in the Brazilian Amazon is linked to illegal activity like land-clearing for agriculture and artisanal mining, often orchestrated by well-structured international criminal enterprises.

Writing for WRI Insights, Dr Charles Barber, Director of Natural Resources Governance and Policy at WRI, which hosts the Nature Crime Alliance, explores crime in the Amazon and its environmental impact.

The article highlights:

• How criminal infrastructure built principally for cocaine is increasingly facilitating illegal deforestation, timber trafficking and illegal gold mining, via control of transport routes, corruption and intimidation of local authorities and communities, as well as the fear of violence.
• The targeting of Indigenous territories by organised crime groups and the impact on deforestation (see graphic below)
• Strategies for tackling nature crime and its convergence with other criminality in the Amazon.

Read the full article here.

The Nature Crime Alliance Secretariat continued its work to tackle financial crime linked to environmental crime through its support of a major convening of financial institutions and law enforcement actors.

The second ‘European Regional Private Sector Dialogue on the disruption of financial crime related to crimes that affect the environment’ took place in Dublin on 8 May.

Organised in collaboration between Nature Crime Alliance members the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the World Resources Institute, and INTERPOL, as well as United for Wildlife, the Dialogue brought together a powerful coalition of actors working to disrupt the financial flows that enable environmental crime.

Driving cross-sector engagement

Hosted by Bank of America at their Dublin office and funded by Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI), the Dialogue gathered 45 participants representing 10 global financial institutions and 13 international organisations, including Europol, from 13 countries across Europe as well as South Africa and the United States.

Chaired by John Edward Conway, Executive Secretary of the Wolfsberg Group, and coordinated by Lynn Schlingemann, Senior Associate Financial Crime and Corruption, Nature Crime Alliance, World Resources Institute, the discussions focused on identifying red flags, risk indicators, and suspicious financial activity related to these crimes.

Participants explored key priorities for Europe in addressing financial crimes associated with illegal deforestation, waste and pollution crimes, illegal gold trade and laundering, as well as trafficking in eels and exotic pets.

Identify risk, increase understanding

The Dialogues aim to bolster the capacity of the financial sector to identify and disrupt financial crimes linked to environmental crime. Following the Dublin Dialogue, 94% of participants reported that the meeting helped them or their institutions identify new risk indicators and/or suspicious transactions.

The majority of attendees also noted a significant improvement in their understanding of the investigative and technical capabilities that banks, law enforcement, and civil society are deploying in disrupting the threat. In addition, 100% of participants saw value in the Dialogue as a networking platform and expressed interest in continuing engagement with this initiative.

With Europe playing a central role in combating illicit financial flows linked to environmental crime, this Dialogue marks another step in strengthening global cooperation and responses to these crimes.

For more information, contact Lynn Schlingemann, Senior Associate Financial Crime and Corruption, Nature Crime Alliance, WRI: lynn.schlingemann@wri.org

The challenge of nature crime in Peru and the different approaches to tackling wildlife crime in Africa were explored during the fifth edition of the Meet the Nature Crime Alliance webinar series.

Deforestation and illegal mining in Peru

Dr Frank Robert Almanza Altamirano, National Coordinating Senior Prosecutor at the Specialized Environmental Prosecutor’s Office, Government of Peru, joined the session to discuss how types of nature crime are threatening Peru’s rich biodiversity.

Speaking with Ruth Nogueron, Senior Associate in the Forest Program at World Resources Institute, Dr Almanza highlighted illegal deforestation and timber trafficking as key challenges, alongside illegal gold mining. The increase in the value of gold has driven a rise in informal and illegal mining in Peru, Dr Almanza said. These mining activities also have a devastating impact on forests.

The prosecutor also outlined the policy approaches that are needed, such as legislation to close legal loopholes used by criminals to plunder nature. Dr Almanza also highlighted how aspects of political power can present a challenge to prosecuting nature crime cases.

Tackling wildlife crime in Africa

The network also heard from Shawn Karns, a Founding Director of the Wildlife Investigators Training Alliance (WITA), where he also serves as Director of Investigations and Trainings.

Shawn gave an overview of the state of wildlife crime across Africa, and discussed WITA’s approach to tackling the issue – particularly its focus on value chains. WITA trains rangers and investigators together, not in isolation, in order to build connections, relationships and trust between the actors involved at different stages of wildlife crime prosecutions. This bolsters the “criminal justice value chain”, Shawn said.

The importance of putting pressure on the wider networks involved, rather than targeting just poachers, was also highlighted.

Shawn also spoke of the value of partnerships and collaboration – including initiatives like the Nature Crime Alliance – and the need to eradicate silos among stakeholders fighting wildlife crime.

Watch in full

These webinars serve as a platform to share knowledge and best practice among the Alliance network. By bringing actors from different sectors together, we can spark new ideas and foster opportunities for collaboration.

You can watch the session in full below (Spanish and English versions available).

English version

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Versión en español

If your organisation is a member of the Nature Crime Alliance and you’d like to share insights with our network through this platform, please contact luke.foddy@wri.org

FRIDAY 23 MAY | 10AM ET / 3PM UK / 4PM CET

The latest edition of the ‘Meet the Nature Crime Alliance’ webinar series will feature insights from the Government of Peru and the Wildlife Investigators Training Alliance (WITA).

Dr Frank Robert Almanza Altamirano, National Coordinating Senior Prosecutor of FEMA, Government of Peru, will discuss Peru’s national efforts to counter nature crime.

Shawn Karns, Director of Investigations and Trainings and a Founding Director of WITA, will highlight the organisation’s crucial work in countering wildlife crime across Africa.

These sessions serve as a platform to share knowledge and best practice among the Alliance network. Spanish and English interpretation will be available.

REGISTER HERE

For more information, contact Luke Foddy: luke.foddy@wri.org

New resources to support the fight against nature crime 

A set of new resources created by the Nature Crime Alliance Secretariat aims to support law enforcement and civil society organisations working on crimes such as wildlife trafficking, land grabbing, and illegal forms of mining, logging, and fishing.   

Developed through consultations and support from members of the Alliance, the resources include a new Wildlife Expert Directory that provides access to experts on specific species and ecosystems to support wildlife crime investigations; an Index of Tools that offers an organised catalogue of the latest digital technologies, tools and datasets that can support efforts to counter nature crime; and a Knowledge Database that brings the latest research, reports and insights on nature crime together in one place, providing a wealth of information at the click of a button. The database will be of particular use to those working in the policy, investigations, and research spaces.

Read more

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People, Planet, Justice: Understanding and Countering Nature Crime

Dr Charles ‘Chip’ Barber, Director of the Nature Crime Alliance, has written a World Resources Institute (WRI) Insights article that highlights the impact of nature crime, and sets out five key approaches that can bolster the global response to this challenge. The article distills the findings of a new WRI report that Chip has also authored.

Read the article View the report

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Watch: Meet the Nature Crime Alliance webinar

The illicit trade in Myanmar teak and a new resource to tackle financial crime linked to environmental crime were some of the issues explored in the latest ‘Meet the Nature Crime Alliance’ webinar.

Marcello De Maria, Project Manager, WWF-UK, unpacked the recently-launched Environmental Crimes Financial Toolkit – an online platform that assists financial institutions in monitoring risks related to nature crimes such as illegal deforestation, land conversion, and wildlife trafficking. We also heard from Julian Newman and Kate Klikis from the Environmental Investigation Agency, who explored how Myanmar teak – a highly sought-after timber used for furniture and luxury yacht decking – continues to enter the US and EU markets despite measures to prevent this illegal trade.

Watch the webinar

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Indigenous Peoples knowledge exchange aims to empower frontline defenders

Forest monitoring technologies and the value of information networks were central to a recent Indigenous Peoples knowledge exchange, organised by the Nature Crime Alliance Secretariat. More than 20 representatives from 11 Indigenous Peoples organisations joined the session, aimed at supporting and empowering frontline defenders. It was convened as part of the Nature Crime Alliance’s Working Group for Indigenous People and Frontline Defenders, organised in partnership with Indigenous Peoples’ Rights International (IPRI).

Read more

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Alliance Secretariat supports major conference on financial crime linked to nature crime

The Nature Crime Alliance Secretariat participated in a major summit aimed at furthering knowledge on environmental crime and related money laundering. Lynn Schlingemann, Senior Associate, Financial Crime and Corruption, Nature Crime Alliance, chaired the conference: ‘Clean Earth, Clean Money: Unmasking Environmental Crimes and Money Laundering’, which was organised by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Latvia in partnership with the FIU of Iceland.

Read more

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IUCN resolution motion on nature crime

The Alliance Secretariat has supported a group of members in pursuing a new omnibus resolution motion on nature crime ahead of the IUCN World Conservation Congress in October 2025. Led by WRI, with support from other Alliance members WCS and the National Whistleblower Center, the motion—if adopted—would be a pivotal step in elevating political will for stronger action against nature crime. The motion would also complement ongoing efforts to integrate nature crime as a core priority in the IUCN 2026-2029 programme of work and its 20-year vision. A wide range of Alliance members have been engaged at different levels of this process. For more information, please contact Elodie Perrat, Senior Government Engagement Manager, at: elodie.perrat@wri.org

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Government officials briefed on wildlife crime

The Alliance Secretariat participated in a wildlife crime information session in New York aimed at policymakers working on this issue at the UN. Co-chaired by Germany and Gabon, with coordination by Wildlife Justice Commission, the session brought together wildlife crime experts to share insights on this critical issue. Ruth Nogueron, Senior Associate, WRI, represented the Secretariat in the meeting, which took place ahead of World Wildlife Day. Ruth emphasised how local communities are invaluable in the gathering of field intelligence, and shared a case study demonstrating the value of investigative journalism in tackling these crimes.

Read more

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Building a Nature Crime Communications Network

Several Alliance members joined the first meeting of the ‘Building a Nature Crime Communications Network’, which took place on 24 March. Chaired by Andrew Marshall, Chief of Communications and Marketing at WRI, this network aims to improve coordination and collaboration among communicators working on this issue. The discussion covered members’ challenges when it comes to communicating on nature crime; tools and resources that could help overcome these challenges; and potential collaboration on campaigns. The group also discussed aligning on messaging ahead of key international meetings. For more information, please contact Luke Foddy, Communications Manager, at luke.foddy@wri.org

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Raising awareness of nature crime at European fora

Lynn Schlingemann, Senior Associate, Financial Crime and Corruption, Nature Crime Alliance, spoke on a panel at the event, ‘Environmental Crime: Five years for the EU to turn the tide!’, held at the European Parliament in March. Lynn discussed ways for better leveraging public and private sector efforts to prevent environmental crime and promote sustainable economies. The event was organised by UNODC, TRAFFIC, WWF and the Spanish Guardia Civil. Lynn also participated in the Villars Summit in March, and joined a workshop on the illegal wildlife trade convened by the Royal Foundation and Villars Institute.

Read more

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News from the Alliance

UNICRI report highlights illicit mining challenge in Southeast Asia

The UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) has published new research on illicit mining activities in Southeast Asia. The report, ‘Crimes Associated with Critical Minerals in Southeast Asia: Trends, Challenges and Solutions’, highlights how the growing demand for minerals such as nickel, tin, rare earth elements, and cobalt is creating opportunities for organised crime. These threats are compounded by insufficient traceability mechanisms, legal and institutional gaps, and limited enforcement capacity. The report calls for enhanced financial investigations, increased support for law enforcement, and expanded research to address this evolving threat landscape. Read more

Washington Post spotlights Earth League International’s investigations into jaguar trafficking

The work of Earth League International in tackling the smuggling of jaguar parts in Suriname has been showcased in a Washington Post feature. The article highlights the convergence of wildlife crime with narcotics trafficking, including fentanyl, and includes insights from ELI Founder, Andrea Crosta. Read more

Surging gold price is fueling environmental crime and violence in Colombia, FACT Coalition analysis shows

A new article from FACT Coalition demonstrates the link between soaring global gold prices and security challenges in Colombia. The analysis highlights how the global surge in gold prices not only drives illegal mining but also underscores the broader challenge of illicit finance fueling conflict, and presents security risks to other countries, including the US. Read more

Lilongwe Wildlife Trust featured in Nat Geo Wild series

The Lilongwe Wildlife Trust‘s conservation efforts are the focus of the second season of ‘Malawi Wildlife Rescue’, which is now airing on Nat Geo Wild. The series, which is filmed at Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, follows the Trust’s work to protect wildlife in the country. Read more

 Tackling Crime Convergence: The Amazon Challenge

Several Alliance members are participating in a plenary session on 29 April which will focus on environmental crimes in the Amazon, and how they are interconnected with other forms of serious organised crime. Convened by the Countering Environmental Corruption Practitioners Forum, the session will feature experts from TRAFFIC, Igarapé Institute, the Basel Institute on Governance, and WWF Brazil. Read more

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Missed our last newsletter? Read it here

A set of new resources aimed at supporting efforts to tackle nature crime has been launched.

The resources, created by the Nature Crime Alliance Secretariat, aim to meet the needs of law enforcement and civil society organisations working on crimes such as wildlife trafficking, land grabbing, and illegal forms of mining, logging, and fishing.

Developed through consultations and support from members of the Alliance, the resources include:

Wildlife Expert Directory

This resource, part of which is designed specifically for law enforcement professionals, provides access to experts on specific species and ecosystems to support wildlife crime investigations. Law enforcement operatives often face challenges in investigating wildlife trafficking due to lack of information on the fauna and flora involved. This curated resource addresses this challenge. The Directory also has a separate tier of access for non-law enforcement stakeholders.

Additional insights from the Wildlife Crime Working Group convened by INTERPOL, alongside the Wildlife Investigators Training Alliance (WITA) and IFAW – all members of the Nature Crime Alliance – also informed the development of the Wildlife Expert Database.

Access to the directory is approved by the Alliance Secretariat and can be requested here.

Index of Tools

Innovative tools and technologies are playing a key role in fighting nature crime, from providing intelligence to supporting frontline defenders, including Indigenous Peoples and local communities. This resource offers a well-organised catalogue of the latest digital technologies, tools and datasets existing in the field. It currently lists and provides links to more than 80 monitoring and tracking tools, indices, dashboards and platforms.

Alongside serving as an information source about available solutions, it is hoped that the index will also highlight existing technological gaps and increase collaboration in the development of new tools. Access the Index of Tools here.

Knowledge Database

Given the evolving nature of environmental crimes, there is an ongoing need for actors working in this field to have access to latest information and analysis on these crimes. The knowledge database brings relevant research, reports and insights together in one place, providing a wealth of information on nature crime at the click of a button. It will be of particular use to those working in the policy, investigations, and research spaces. Browse the Knowledge Database here.

Meeting members’ needs

Tsveti Bandakova, Programme Manager for the Nature Crime Alliance, commented: “These resources have been developed in direct response to practitioners’ needs, which have been shared with us through the Nature Crime Alliance network.

“From customs officials seeking information about live animals that have been seized, to community initiatives looking to bolster their capacity through monitoring technologies, these resources connect those on the frontlines with the tools and expertise that can support them. We are grateful to the members who supported us in developing these resources.”

One such member is the Wildlife Investigators Training Alliance, who supported the development of the Wildlife Expert Database.

Shawn Karns, Director of Investigations and Trainings and a Founding Director of WITA, said: “These resources will provide both government and civil society partners with the opportunity to engage and connect with vetted investigative practitioners and organisations with proven, real-life experience in combatting transnational crimes that impact the world’s natural resources. 

“The Wildlife Investigators Training Alliance is honored to collaborate with the Nature Crime Alliance in developing the wildlife expert database, which also draws on the expertise of the Interpol Wildlife Crime Working Group.”

The resources are now live and can be found at naturecrimealliance.org/resources

The illicit trade in Myanmar teak and a new resource to tackle financial crime linked to environmental crime were some of the issues explored in the latest ‘Meet the Nature Crime Alliance’ webinar.

Marcello De Maria, Project Manager, WWF-UK, unpacked the recently-launched Environmental Crimes Financial Toolkit – an online platform that assists financial institutions in monitoring risks related to nature crimes such as illegal deforestation, land conversion, and wildlife trafficking.

Julian Newman, Campaigns Director, and Kate Klikis, Forests Campaigner, Environmental Investigation Agency, highlighted how Myanmar teak – a highly sought-after timber used for furniture and luxury yacht decking – continues to enter the US and EU markets despite measures to prevent this illegal trade.

And Tsveti Bandakova, Programme Manager, Nature Crime Alliance Secretariat, provided a preview of a new suite of resources that have been developed by the Alliance team to support members’ activities in tackling nature crime.

The session also heard from Charles ‘Chip’ Barber, Director of the Nature Crime Alliance, who shared highlights from a new World Resources Institute report he has co-authored: ‘People, Planet, Justice: Understanding and Countering Nature Crime‘.

Learn more about our members’ work

If you’d like to find out more about the work showcased during the webinar, you can contact the speakers directly:

Marcello De Maria: If you’d like to learn more about WWF’s Environmental Crime Financial Toolkit, please contact Marcello at: MDeMaria@wwf.org.uk

View Marcello’s slides here.

Julian Newman and Kate Klikis: To find out more about the Environmental Investigation Agency’s work on Myanmar teak, please contact Julian at: JulianNewman@eia-international.org or Kate at: katarinaklikis@eia-international.org

View their slides here.

The video they included in their presentation can be viewed here.

Tsveti Bandakova: To learn more about the resources developed by the Nature Crime Alliance Secretariat, please email Tsveti at: tsvetilena.bandakova@wri.org

Chip Barber: Chip also authored a WRI Insights piece here, which distills key aspects of the report. You can contact Chip at charles.barber@wri.org

Join a future webinar!

If you’re a member of the Nature Crime Alliance and would like to be profiled in a future webinar, please contact Luke Foddy: luke.foddy@wri.org