UAE unveils International Initiative of Law Enforcement for Climate

At the first day of the Summit, further details were presented in relation to a high-level agreement between Lieutenant General H.H. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the UAE, and H.E. Ghada Waly, the Executive Director of the UNODC, which was reached in February 2023.

At the time, the highest-ranking officials of the Emirati Ministry of Interior and UNODC discussed the launch of a global initiative, aimed at awareness-raising, capacity-building and research with respect to crimes that affect the environment and climate change.

The vision of Lieut. Gen. H.H. Sheikh Saif for the initiative, which had been named as the International Initiative of Law Enforcement for Climate (I2LEC), was further presented at a panel discussion of the World Police Summit, by a representative of the UAE's Ministry of Interior, Lt. Col. Dana Humaid.

"We are pleased to present Lieut. Gen. H.H. Sheikh Saif's vision as a reality today. By serving as the advisory body of the I2LEC, the Global Working Group will be a platform to coordinate global law enforcement's response to crimes that affect the environment and, hence, climate change. The UAE is confident that the Global Working Group and I2LEC will be a catalyst for addressing the environmental crisis and we trust you to join us in this important endeavour", said Lt. Col. Dana Humaid, Director General of the UAE MOI's International Affairs Bureau.

The Global Working Group is a multidisciplinary group of representatives from various organizations such the UNODC, Interpol, Europol, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, United Nations Environment Programme, the Environmental Unit of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Environmental Emergencies Centre, World Economic Forum, among others.

Speaking at the same panel discussion, Judge Dr. Hatem Ali, Regional Director of the UNODC Office, highlighted that I2LEC and the Global Working Group will build on the previous achievements reached by the international community to effectively address crimes that affect the environment and its impact on climate change.  

"Against the backdrop of evolving challenges of climate change, we are very excited to partner with the UAE on the International Initiative of Law Enforcement for Climate, which will work to table a resolution at the relevant UN governing body, ahead of the COP28 climate summit. Together with our partners, we will make sure that I2LEC has a holistic approach and lasting legacy with respect to increasing prevention and building operational and research capacities of law enforcement agencies across the world to tackle the environmental crisis", said Regional Director of the UNODC Office in the GCC.

I2LEC weaves into the UAE's wider commitment to advance global cooperation on environmental causes. The UAE was the first country in the region to ratify the historic Paris Agreement, signed in 2015 during the COP21. 2023 is the "Year of Sustainability" in the UAE, to foster a global collaboration in seeking innovative solutions to climate-related challenges.

I2LEC will also benefit from the long-standing strategic partnership between the UAE and UNODC on supporting the global efforts against organized as well as from UNODC's vast expertise built through the Global Programme on Crimes that Affect the Environment.

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