DUBAI, UAE, March 7, 2023 (Archyde.com) /PRNewswire/ – The International Initiative of Law Enforcement for Climate (I2LEC), led by the UAE Ministry of Interior in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), aims to serve as a platform to coordinate the global law enforcement response to environmental impacts, as presented on Tuesday at the World Police Summit taking place on March 6th and 7th in Dubai.
On the first day of the summit, further details were presented on a high-level agreement between Lieutenant-General, His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the UAE, and Her Excellency Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC, which was finalized in February 2023.
At the time, senior officials from the Emirati Ministry of Interior and UNODC discussed launching a global initiative aimed at raising awareness, building capacity and investigating crimes affecting the environment and climate change.
Lt-Gen, His Highness Sheikh Saif’s vision for the initiative, which was named International Initiative of Law Enforcement for Climate (I2LEC), was further presented at a panel discussion at the World Police Summit by a representative of the UAE Ministry of the Interior, Lt-Col Lt-Col Dana Humaid.
“We are pleased to present Lieutenant General His Highness Sheikh Saif’s vision as a reality today. As the advisory body to I2LEC, the Global Working Group will provide a platform for coordinating global law enforcement of crimes that affect the environment and, by extension, climate change. The UAE is confident that the Global Working Group and I2LEC will be a catalyst in addressing the environmental crisis and we trust you to support us in this important endeavor,” said Lt. Col. Dana Humaid, Director General of the UAE MOI International Affairs Bureau.
The Global Working Group is a multidisciplinary group of representatives from various organizations such as UNODC, Interpol, Europol, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, United Nations Environment Programme, Environmental Unit of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Environmental Emergencies Centre, World Economic Forum and others
Speaking at the same panel discussion, Judge Dr. Hatem Ali, Regional Director of the UNODC Office, said that the I2LEC and the Global Working Group will build on the achievements of the international community to date to effectively combat crimes once morest the environment and their impact on climate change.
“Against the background of the growing challenges of climate change, we are very pleased to be working with the UAE on the International Initiative of Law Enforcement for Climate, which will introduce a resolution to the responsible UN body in the run-up to the COP28 climate summit. Together with our partners, we will ensure that I2LEC has a holistic approach and a lasting legacy in improving prevention and building operational and research capacities of law enforcement agencies around the world to combat the environmental crisis,” said the Regional Director of the UNODC office in the GCC.
I2LEC fits into the UAE’s broader commitment to fostering global environmental cooperation. The UAE was the first country in the region to ratify the historic Paris Agreement, signed at COP21 in 2015. 2023 is the UAE’s “Year of Sustainability” to foster global collaboration in finding innovative solutions to climate-related challenges.
I2LEC will also benefit from the longstanding strategic partnership between the UAE and UNODC in support of global efforts once morest organized crime, as well as from UNODC’s extensive expertise built under the Global Program on Environmental Crimes.
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Questions & contact:
Major Hamad Khatir,
Director of the Department of International Operations at the Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates,
io@moi.gov.ae
