Strengthening Cooperation Against Crimes that Affect the Environment and UNTOC

About this Event

Crimes that affect the environment such as wildlife trafficking, illegal mining and trafficking of minerals and waste trafficking, are among the world’s largest forms of transnational organised crime and frequently converge with corruption, money laundering, drug trafficking and other illicit markets. A growing coalition of States is advocating for negotiations towards an additional Protocol under the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) to strengthen international cooperation against these crimes and will submit a draft resolution at the upcoming Conference of the Parties (UNTOC COP13) on 19-23 October 2026, in Vienna.

Many Geneva-based diplomatic missions do not routinely engage with the UNTOC process in Vienna and may be less familiar with the emerging discussions around a possible Protocol. This informal luncheon will provide an opportunity for Member States to hear from governments and independent experts on the scale of the challenge, the links between environmental crime and organized crime, and the rationale for strengthening the international legal framework.

This lunch briefing will aim to familiarize Geneva-based missions with the case for an additional UNTOC Protocol on crimes that affect the environment and will present evidence of the convergence between environmental crime and other forms of serious organized crime. It will also provide an informal forum for discussion and questions ahead of UNTOC COP13 and encourage broader engagement by Member States in forthcoming discussions on international responses to environmental crime.

Highlights

Links

• Concept Note – UNTOC Briefing Geneva – Royal Foundation (2)