Deadline: 31-Jul-23
Applications are now open for the 2023 Asia Environmental Enforcement Awards to recognize and celebrate excellence in enforcement by government officials and institutions or teams combating transboundary crimes that affect the environment.
The Awards are given to individuals and/or government organizations/teams that demonstrate excellence and outstanding leadership in enforcement of national laws to combat transboundary crime. The thematic scope of the Awards covers any transboundary crime that affect the environment, including the illegal harvest, trade and transport of endangered wildlife, timber, fish, minerals as well as the illegal trade and disposal of waste and the illegal trade in ozone-depleting substances.
This is the eighth time the Awards will be given, and this year’s Awards will be given to recipients who demonstrate excellence and leadership in one or more of the following categories: collaboration; impact; innovation; integrity; and gender leadership. There will also be a separate category for Africa-Asia cooperation in the area of illegal trade in wildlife. The 2023 Award is the result of partnership among the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the Secretariat of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (Basel Convention), the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Customs Organization (WCO).
2023 Awards theme: fighting transboundary crimes that affect the environment
Transboundary environmental crime presents a serious threat in the region. Illegal trade in wildlife undermines conservation efforts, harms economies, devastates livelihoods, and compromises ecosystems on which humans depend. It also takes place on the routes between Africa and Asia at significant scale. The Asia region is as well one of the main destinations for illegally traded chemicals and waste.
Particularly, there are concerns over the significant increase of trade in plastic waste in recent years. Millions of tons of hazardous waste, plastic waste and harmful chemicals are transported to and within Asia, having disastrous effects for human health and the environment. Governmental authorities working on environmental enforcement issues are on the front-line of efforts to combat transboundary environmental crime. The 2023 Awards will recognize and celebrate their critical role in doing so.
Duration: The eligible period concerning activities justifying the nomination must have taken place within the period 1 June 2022 – 30 June 2023.
Award Ceremony: Recipients of the Award will be informed in October 2023. They will be invited to an award ceremony to be held in late 2023. The awards ceremony may be held virtually at the discretion of the partner agencies.
Eligibility Criteria
- The main criteria for eligibility for the awards are:
- Affiliation: Government-entity (unit, department, team, etc.) or civil servant employed by the Government (ranger, Customs officer, police investigators, etc) involved in the enforcement chain.
- Geographic scope: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Japan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Viet Nam.
- Individuals or entities that are not formally affiliated with a Government institution – e.g. non-governmental organizations, volunteering associations, private sector companies, international organizations, etc. – are not eligible.
For more information, visit UNEP.
