Private Sector Dialogues

Posted on June 26, 2024December 5, 2024

In December 2021, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Global Programme against Money Laundering, Proceeds of Crime, and the Financing of Terrorism (GPML) launched a Private Sector Dialogue (the Dialogue or PSD) on the disruption of financial crimes related to crimes that affect the environment. This initiative follows the recommendations from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) reports on Money Laundering and the Illegal Wildlife Trade (2020) and on Money Laundering from Environmental Crime (2021). These reports highlighted that the private sector and Governments’ actions, to date, to detect and disrupt financial flows linked to crimes that affect the environment have not been proportionate to the scale of the issue and that there is an urgent need for enhanced cooperation among relevant anti-money laundering/counter-financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) government authorities, the private sector, and civil society.

The Private Sector Dialogue brings together AML/CFT government authorities, including law enforcement, the private sector, and civil society on a quarterly basis with the goal to better detect and respond to financial crimes related to crimes that affect the environment. The Dialogue allows participants to develop and share their understanding of risks and mitigation measures relating to the financing of crimes that affect the environment, mainly focusing on illegal deforestation and the illicit extraction of minerals. The Dialogue does not focus on the illegal wildlife trade, as this is largely covered by networks convened by United For Wildlife (UFW). The Dialogue and UFW teams remain in close contact and identify opportunities to co-host and support each other´s events where the topics intersect.

The Private Sector Dialogue originated from the UNODC-INTERPOL Law Enforcement Assistance Programme (LEAP) funded by Norway, France, and the United Kingdom and which aims to reduce illegal tropical deforestation in South America and South-East Asia. Significant support is also provided by the Nature Crime Alliance, hosted by the World Resource Institute, through the provision of in-house experts, the expansion of the network, as well as development of substantive themes for discussion. The Private Sector Dialogue has since expanded to cover financial crimes related to environmental crimes, focusing on illegal deforestation and illicit extraction of minerals.

Collaboration with the PSD allows INTERPOL and law enforcement to understand new and emerging modus operandi for financial crimes at an earlier stage, which can lead to quicker responses and more effective prevention and disruption of financial criminal activities in the forestry and other environmental sectors. Thus, from a law enforcement perspective, the PSD can contribute to fostering information sharing, valuable expertise exchange, trust building, early detection, and enhanced investigations.

Each Private Sector Dialogue is split into three thematic areas, namely: a) intelligence collection and sharing; b) policy and governance; and c) sustainability. To date, participants from 53 different Governments and over 45 global financial institutions from source, transit, and destination countries, have participated in the Private Sector Dialogue.

Since 2024, Regional Private Sector Dialogues are organised, allowing for a more in-depth discussion addressing regional priorities, with national authorities, law enforcement, banks, and local NGOs. The regional dialogues are held on a biannual basis, starting in Southern Africa, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas.

UNODC has committed to maintaining a convening role in this ongoing dialogue to ensure continued progress and coordination with other similar networks.

All Private Sector Dialogues are held under the ´Chatham House Rule.´ If you would like more information or are interested in participating in the Private Sector Dialogues, kindly contact elaine.dayanghirang@un.org and mohammad-sulaiman.hotak@un.org

Private Sector Dialogue Chairs

Mr. John Edward Conway, Executive Secretary of the Wolfsberg Group
Chair of the Global Private Sector Dialogues, the Southern Africa and Asia-Pacific Regional Private Sector Dialogues

Dr. Marcus Pleyer, Deputy Director General in Germany’s Federal Ministry of Finance
Chair of the European Regional Private Sector Dialogue

Laode M. Syarif, Ph.D, Executive Director of KEMITRAAN (Partnership for Governance Reform in Indonesia)
Co-Chair of the Asia-Pacific Regional Private Sector Dialogue

The Chair of the South American Regional Private Sector Dialogues has not yet been selected.

Private Sector Dialogue Team

Ms. Lynn Schlingemann, Nature Crime Alliance, Senior Associate Financial Crime and Corruption, The Hague
Supports the development and delivery of the Dialogues through engaging experts from the government, NGO, and the private sector to participate; analyses current threats in the sector and responses proposed in the Dialogues and elsewhere in order to inform decision-making regarding the future direction of the Dialogues; provides substantive training on the financing of environment crime and assists with the creation of bespoke training and development programmes for the government and the private sector

Ms. Melissa Tullis, UNODC (GPML), Vienna
Supports the alignment of the Dialogues with UNODC projects and initiatives as well as with the work of international and regional bodies, such as FATF

Mr. Oliver Gadney, UNODC, Programme Coordinator (GPML), Vienna
Provides substantive support to the Global and Regional Private Sector Dialogues and aligns the Private Sector Dialogue with UNODC’s ongoing activities on anti-money laundering under Programme LEAP

Mr. Fabrizio Fioroni, UNODC, AML/CFT Advisor (GPML), Bangkok
Provides substantive support to the Global and Regional Private Sector Dialogues with a particular focus on the Asia-Pacific Region

Mr. Paul Hackett, UNODC, AML/CFT Advisor (GPML), Lima
Provides substantive support to the Global and Regional Private Sector Dialogues with a particular focus on the Central and South American Region

Mr. Davyth Stewart, Nature Crime Alliance, Law Enforcement and Financial Crime Advisor, Lyon
Provides substantive expertise and supports to expand the networks of participants with a particular focus on the European and Asia-Pacific Private Sector Dialogues

Ms. Yulia Stange, Nature Crime Alliance, Director, London
Provides substantive support to the Global and Regional Private Sector Dialogues and aligns the Private Sector Dialogue with the Alliance’s ongoing activities

Mr. Dermot Brauders, INTERPOL, Lyon
Provides substantive support to the Global and Regional Private Sector Dialogues, with a particular focus on financial crimes investigations in the forestry sector through Programme LEAP, as well as on strengthening law enforcement and FIU cooperation

Ms. Elaine Viktoria Dayanghirang, UNODC, National Programme Officer (GPML), Manila
Arranges all aspects of the secretariat support to the Global and Regional Private Sector Dialogues, including data management through the Learning Management System; collates inputs for upcoming agendas and participation

Mr. Mohammad Sulaiman Hotak, UNODC, Programme Assistant (GPML), Vienna
Supports the administration of the Global and Regional Private Sector Dialogues