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MEA Enforcement Regional Cooperation and Networking

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Title: MEA Enforcement Regional Cooperation and Networking


1
MEA Enforcement Regional Cooperation and
Networking
  • Asia Pacific Region
  • ?
  • Montreal Protocol
  • Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

2
Outline
  • Montreal Protocol Basel Convention Rotterdam
    Convention Stockholm Convention
  • UNEP assistance at national level
  • Regional Ozone Networks
  • MEA Regional Enforcement Network
  • Cooperation with Partner Organisations

3
The Hazardous Chemicals and Wastes Conventions
  • Montreal Protocol, Basel, Rotterdam and
    Stockholm Conventions 4MEAs developed under UNEP
    auspices together provide an international
    framework governing the environmentally sound
    management of hazardouschemicals throughout
    their lifecycles

4
Montreal Protocol - 1987
  • Ozone Layer Ozone (O3) in the stratosphere, acts
    as a filter for UV-B
  • Ozone-depleting substances (ODS) deplete the
    ozone molecules in the ozone layer
  • The Montreal Protocol (1987), 4 Amendments and 7
    adjustments
  • Production Consumption of ODS to be
    progressively reduced
  • Financial Mechanism to assist developing
    countries
  • Delayed Compliance period for developing countries

5
Basel Convention - 1989
  • Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous
    Wastes and their Disposal, 1989
  • In response to concerns about toxic waste from
    industrialized countries being dumped in
    developing countries and countries with economies
    in transition
  • 1st decade elaboration of controls on the
    transboundary movement of hazardous wastes,
    development of criteria for environmentally sound
    management
  • Recently full implementation of treaty
    commitments minimization of hazardous waste
    generation

6
Rotterdam Convention, 1998
  • Prior Informed Consent Procedure
  • Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in
    International Trade
  • Dramatic growth in chemicals production and trade
    highlighted the potential risks posed by
    hazardous chemicals and pesticides
  • Countries lacking adequate infrastructure to
    monitor import and use were particularly
    vulnerable
  • 1980s UNEP FAO developed voluntary codes of
    conduct information exchange systems,
    culminating in the PIC procedure introduced in
    1989

7
Stockholm Convention, 2001
  • Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
  • Chemicals, highly toxic, persistent,
    bio-accumulate and move long distances in the
    environment
  • In response to urgent need for global action to
    protect human health and the environment
  • elimination / restriction production and use of
    all intentionally produced POPs
  • minimization and, where feasible, ultimate
    elimination of releases of unintentionally
    produced POPs
  • Stockpiles must be managed and disposed of in a
    safe, efficient and environmentally sound manner.
  • Certain trade restrictions

8
UNEP assistance at national level
  • Montreal Protocol UNEP Compliance Assistance
    Programme
  • Policy and regulations (ODS licensing system )
  • Training Refrigeration Technicians - Customs
  • Enforcement ODS checking as part of customs
    inspection procedure
  • Public awareness raising
  • COMPLIANCE

9
Regional Ozone Networks
  • Ozone Officers Networks
  • South Asia South East Asia and Pacific networks
  • Regular forum for Ozone Officers to exchange
    experiences, develop skills, share ideas with
    counterparts from both developing developed
    countries
  • Inform about decisions from MOP and ExCom
  • South-South assistance

10
Ozone Regional Enforcement Network
  • Sida funded project 2002-2006
  • Focus Enforcement Montreal Protocol
  • 24 countries in the AP Region
  • Ozone and Customs Officers (ODS customs focal
    point)
  • Yearly coordination / cooperation workshops
  • Facilitate info / intelligence exchange among
    countries
  • Develop practical ODS enforcement management
    tools
  • Desk study trans-boundary movements of ODS
  • Liaise with regional / international agencies

11
Country Control on ODS Trade
Prior to this project, countries work in
isolation and must rely on their own system to
control ODS trade which is a cross-border
phenomenon
Country Obligation ODS Phase-out
Monitor ODS Consumption
ODS Regulation / Licensing System / Import Quota
Enforcement by Customs
12
Project Activities
  • Cross-border cooperation between NOU and Customs
  • Facilitate information/intelligence exchange
  • Gather data on transboundary movements of ODS
  • Develop management tools for efficient border
    controls
  • Establish collaboration with regional enforcement
    agencies

Country A
Country B
NOU
NOU
Customs
Customs
13
Role of Country Participants
  • Assign customs officer responsible ODS
  • Compile national information on trans-boundary
    movements of ODS
  • Identify issues (e.g. Fiji-prosecution)
  • Contribute ideas for regional strategies
  • Implement tools strategies discussedat
    coordination workshops
  • Put in place / implement / enforce effective
    import/export licensing systems at national level

14
Fiji case study - Role of Prosecutors and Judges
  • Invited a prosecutor from Fiji to share their
    experience in Beijing workshop, April 2005
  • Lessons learnt from Fiji Case
  • The High Court in Fiji has failed to set a
    deterrent punishment. In fact the Court failed to
    indicate what is the starting range of fines in
    Fiji for offences against the Environment.
  • The Judge refused to grant court costs despite
    our efforts to show the approach taken by the
    Courts overseas. The judge strongly believed that
    since the matter was criminal the Prosecution had
    the burden of proving the case beyond reasonable
    doubt, even if that meant bearing the heavy
    burden of costs.
  • Fact sheet - Participation in UNEP Judges
    Initiative

15
Some outputs
  • Experts regional organisations and NGOs
  • In depth knowledge - Support between meetings
  • Improved contacts between countries
  • Raised global awareness issues in the Asia region
  • Through reports and participation outsiders
  • By group initiative to bring them before the MOP
  • Raised the overall level of weakest participants

16
Some Outputs
  • More effective import/export licensing systems
  • Info/Intelligence Exchange
  • Informal Prior Informed Consent
  • Exchanged info / intelligence specific cases
  • Desk Study giving an idea of trends of illegal
    trade activities, an opportunity to analyse the
    origin take preventive measures

17
N
Lessons learned
  • Project implementation and participation
  • Follow-up C R essential
  • One of the main pillars of the success of the
    project is the insistence on having the same
    officers attend all the workshops
  • Deeper understanding of the specific problems
  • Created a big capacity building of those officers
  • Allowed for a mutual search for solutions
  • Officers take a very active role

18
Lessons learned
N
Lessons learned
  • Interaction with Other Agencies
  • Expertise, extend activities
  • Awareness raising within organisations (WCO,
    Interpol), puts environmental crime on agenda
  • Outreach
  • Not limited to national/regional implementation
    but also countries taking the initiative to bring
    certain problems to the meeting of the parties

19
Lessons learned
N
Lessons learned
  • Scope
  • From discussions with the countries, the need
    was expressed to broaden the scope of the
    regional cooperation
  • To include other MEAs
  • To raise awareness of the full enforcement chain,
    including prosecutors, judges, police,
    environmental inspectors, and investigators
  • For expertise on how to follow up seizure of
    illegal shipments with investigation,
    prosecution and conviction

20
MEA Regional Enforcement Networking
  • Aims at integration of the MEA work with regards
    to control of transboundary movements of those
    chemicals
  • By integrating control strategies
  • Optimising the use of resources within the
    countries
  • Minimising the loss of political attention and
    capacity built for the MP

21
MEA covered by the project
  • Montreal Protocol
  • Ozone-depleting substances
  • Basel Convention
  • Hazardous wastes
  • Stockholm Convention
  • Persistent Organic Pollutants
  • Rotterdam Convention
  • Chemicals

Trade and Customs are key tools to implement
these treaties
22
MEA Regional Enforcement Networking
  • Target group
  • Ozone Officers, Customs officers
  • national MEA Representatives from each country in
    the SEAP and SA region
  • Officer working on national implementation,
    policy development and enforcement of MEA or
    SAICM issues at the national level
  • From countries having ratified at least the
    Montreal Protocol and the Basel and Rotterdam
    Conventions

23
Short-term Outputs
  • National focal points in Environment Customs
  • dissemination of information at national level
  • implementing enforcement strategies at national
    level
  • Modalities for regional information exchange
    informal networking
  • regular meetings
  • linking participants permanently by email /
    Internet
  • Develop/implement enforcement supportive tools

24
Long-term Outputs
  • Improve control over hazardous chemicals imports
    trans-boundary movements in the region
  • Efficiently enforce control strategies
  • increased knowledge of smuggling methods
  • improved enforcement mechanisms
  • Obtain reliable data imports/ trans-boundary
    movements hazardous chemicals
  • Maintain capacity built on MP within national
    administrations
  • Maintain awareness ODS control after 2010 through
    integration in national hazardous chemicals
    policies

25
Cooperation with partners
  • WCO RILO AP - WCO ROCB Interpol
  • Environmental Investigation Agency (NGO)
  • Participation in coordination workshops / each
    others meetings / workshops
  • Inclusion ODS issues in own WP
  • LoI UNEP ROAP RILO A/P
  • Sky-Hole-Patching
  • Customs Enforcement Network
  • Training (HS Codes)
  • EcoMessage

26
Regional Partners Forum on Combating
Environmental Crime
  • Establishment 25August 2005
  • Facilitate mutual consultation
  • Enhance enforcement cooperation
  • Promote exchange of information
  • Coordinate technical cooperation
  • UNEP - UNODC
  • WCO RILO A/P - WCO ROCB A/P
  • Interpol Liaison Office for South East Asia
  • World Conservation Organization
  • TRAFFIC EIA Wildlife Alliance
  • Basel Convention Regional Centers

27
An example of cooperationProject Sky Hole
Patching
  • Joint RILO A/P UNEP Sep06 to Oct07
  • Monitored suspicious shipments of Ozone Depleting
    Substances and Waste by Customs in 21 countries
    in the Region
  • High volume of seizures of ODS hazardous wastes
  • Raised awareness of Regional Customs Members on
    importance of combating environmental crime
  • Enhance mutual cooperation between Customs and
    EPA Raise the alertness of frontline Customs
    officers
  • Extend cooperation network (EU)

28
Future ideas of cooperation
  • Partnership between UNODC (Lead), UNEP, TRAFFIC,
    Wildlife Alliance
  • Border Liaison Offices in the Mekong Sub-region
    (BLO)
  • Expand mandate to include environmental organised
    crime

29
Conclusion
  • While progress has been made on cooperation
    between EPA and Customs Departments improving the
    control of trans-boundary movements of
    environmental goods, leading to higher seizure
    rates
  • The need is felt acutely to link this with the
    next steps of investigation prosecution and
    conviction
  • Law enforcement officers, including from EPA,
    Customs, Police etc. expect that their control
    efforts are leading to conviction of criminals,
    without which their efforts have only a minimal
    effect.

30
Some ideas Investigation prosecution -
conviction
  • To raise awareness of the full enforcement chain,
    including prosecutors, judges, police,
    environmental inspectors, and investigators
  • For expertise on how to follow up seizure of
    illegal shipments with investigation,
    prosecution and conviction
  • Presentation Mr. Nagai a way forward

31
Some ideas Investigation prosecution -
conviction
  • Promote sensitisation of parliamentarians,
    judges and other legal stakeholders
  • Regional enforcement network Green Customs
    Initiative
  • Support developing guidelines on mainstreaming
    the environment in law and policy - Promote
    effective means to enhance enforcement in
    environmental matter sanctions
  • Improve enforcement aspect of existing
    environmental laws/regulations Penalties -
    Forfeiture Laws - Reducing Legal Complexities
  • High-profile cases - Case studies related to
    degree of harm
  • Sentencing Guidelines
  • Deterrence, efficacy full scope sentencing
    options

32
Some ideas Investigation prosecution -
conviction
  • Promote enhancement of technical capacity to
    deal with environmental cases at enforcement
    agencies
  • Training Constructive use of the task force
    model
  • Support enhancing the role of prosecutors
  • Training Trial skills that incorporate use of
    demonstrative evidence
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