Issued 23 August 2023

‘Today, we are joining together to form the Nature Crime Alliance – a new, multi-sector approach to fighting criminal forms of logging, mining, wildlife trade, land conversion, crimes associated with fishing, and the illegal activities with which they converge. 

Nature crime constitutes one of the largest illicit economies in the world, inflicting devastation and destruction upon people and planet. We recognise that these crimes cannot be eradicated without multi-sector cooperation, and that there is a pressing need for greater coordination and collaboration among the diverse actors fighting nature crime. A new approach is needed.  

We have formed the Alliance in recognition of this need, with members including representatives from governments, law enforcement, international organisations, civil society organisations, front line defenders including Indigenous Peoples and local communities, donors, and the private sector.  

We will work together, through the Alliance, to raise political will, mobilise financial commitment, and strengthen operational capacity to fight nature crime. Through a range of initiatives – from solutions-focused working groups convening representatives across different sectors, to structured communications channels that enable open dialogue and the sharing of best practice – the Alliance is building a new, international, collaborative response to nature crime.  

This is the first time that such a multi-sector approach to this global challenge has been developed on this scale, with the Alliance marking a key moment in the fight against nature crime. We encourage governments and organisations that share our determination to end environmental injustice and protect people and planet to join us in the Nature Crime Alliance.’

-End-

Issued by founding participants of the Nature Crime Alliance, including:

The Government of Norway
The Government of the United States
The Government of Gabon
UN Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
Global Environment Facility (GEF)
Interpol
Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime
Wildlife Justice Commission
Wildlife Conservation Society
TRAFFIC
Indigenous Peoples Rights International
Amazon Conservation Association
Environmental Investigation Agency US
Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI)
Instituto Igarape
Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
Rainforest Foundation UK
Earth League International
World Forest ID
Mongabay

For more information about this joint statement, please contact secretariat@naturecrimealliance.org

The Nature Crime Alliance officially launches on 23 August 2023 during the Global Environment Facility Assembly in Vancouver, Canada.

Founding members of the Alliance, including officials from governments, law enforcement agencies, and civil society organisations, will discuss the pressing need for global action on nature crime, and the role the Alliance can play in meeting this need.

A new initiative

Nature crime – a term encompassing criminal forms of logging, mining, fishing, wildlife trade, land conversion, and associated illegal activities – stands as one of the largest illicit economies in the world, presenting serious environmental, economic and security challenges for governments, communities and businesses alike.  

Recognising the urgency and complexity of the issue, the Nature Crime Alliance emerges as a crucial network that seeks to enhance collaboration and coordination between organisations fighting nature crime. Hosted by the World Resources Institute (WRI), the Alliance aims to mobilise governments and other relevant non-state actors to scale up efforts to disrupt the criminal networks perpetrating these crimes globally. 

Get involved

Only delegates at the GEF Assembly can access the launch event on 23 August, but the Alliance is also hosting an evening reception on 24 August for non-GEF delegates. If you’d like to know more about the launch events, or about the Nature Crime Alliance in general, please contact secretariat@naturecrimealliance.org