Imagine an innocuous-looking shipping container that actually contains hazardous waste capable of contaminating land and endangering human health. These illegal trades not only damage the environment but also fuel organized crime networks. Facing this global challenge, the World Customs Organization (WCO) has joined forces with the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions secretariats to build a robust green barrier against environmental crimes.
On February 24, 2020, during the opening ceremony of the 40th Enforcement Committee meeting at WCO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Dr. Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, delivered a keynote address. Welcomed by WCO Secretary General Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, the meeting focused on "Customs Enforcement for the Sustainability of People, Prosperity and the Planet." Dr. Payet emphasized customs' crucial role in combating environmental crimes and other illegal trades that generate massive illicit profits for organized crime networks while undermining sustainable development.
Secretary General Mikuriya informed the committee that customs activities significantly contribute to all 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including building secure societies, improving business environments, safeguarding essential resources, and protecting the planet for future generations. He stressed that WCO provides tools, information exchange platforms, best practices, and partnerships to strengthen customs' role in achieving sustainability—not just as a duty but as a commitment to global well-being.
The Grave Challenges to Global Environmental Security
Cross-border illegal waste trade and illicit flows of hazardous chemicals and persistent organic pollutants pose severe threats to global environmental security. These activities directly contaminate soil, water, and air, damage ecosystems, and create long-term health impacts. Developing countries often bear the brunt of these illegal trades as they lack infrastructure and technology to properly handle hazardous materials, leading to environmental degradation and social injustice.
Organized crime groups exploit globalization and trade liberalization to move hazardous waste and chemicals to countries with weaker regulations, generating enormous profits. This illicit trade undermines environmental protection efforts and hinders progress toward sustainable development goals.
Customs' Pivotal Role in Environmental Crime Prevention
As frontline border guardians, customs agencies play a vital role in combating environmental crimes. Customs officers inspect import/export shipments, identify and seize illegally transported waste, chemicals, and other hazardous materials. They enforce national and international environmental regulations to ensure trade activities align with sustainable development principles.
To effectively fulfill these responsibilities, customs requires specialized knowledge, advanced technology, and efficient cooperation mechanisms. WCO enhances customs' environmental crime-fighting capabilities through training programs, technical assistance, and information-sharing platforms. The organization also fosters collaboration between customs, law enforcement agencies, international organizations, and private sector stakeholders to collectively address environmental crime challenges.
WCO-Basel Convention Partnership: Shaping Global Environmental Governance
The collaboration between WCO and the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions secretariats forms a critical component of global environmental governance. The Basel Convention regulates transboundary movements of hazardous waste, the Rotterdam Convention facilitates information exchange about certain hazardous chemicals in international trade, while the Stockholm Convention aims to eliminate or restrict persistent organic pollutants.
This partnership strengthens customs' implementation of these conventions to ensure safe management and disposal of hazardous materials. Key cooperative measures include:
Training Material Development: Creating specialized training resources to enhance customs officers' ability to detect and intercept illegal shipments of waste and chemicals, covering relevant laws, technical knowledge, and best practices.
Online Training Utilization: Leveraging digital platforms to deliver accessible training courses globally, expanding reach and improving efficiency.
Expert Network Strengthening: Establishing connections between customs and multilateral environmental agreement specialists for improved information exchange and technical support.
Joint Operations: Coordinating future actions to combat cross-border illegal waste trade and other environmental crimes, enhancing enforcement effectiveness.
Concrete Actions and Future Directions
The WCO-Basel Convention partnership has already yielded significant results, including successful joint operations that intercepted substantial illegal shipments of waste and chemicals. Numerous training workshops have also elevated customs officers' environmental enforcement capabilities.
Looking ahead, this collaboration will deepen and expand, focusing on several critical areas:
Emerging Crime Monitoring: Enhancing surveillance and early warning systems for new forms of environmental crime evolving with technological and trade pattern changes.
Smart Enforcement: Implementing big data and artificial intelligence to improve detection accuracy, such as using AI to analyze trade data for potential illegal shipments.
Private Sector Engagement: Strengthening cooperation with businesses that play vital roles in environmental protection to jointly advance sustainability goals.
Through strengthened international cooperation and enhanced enforcement capabilities, WCO and the Basel Convention are building a safer, cleaner, and more sustainable planet—fulfilling our responsibility to current and future generations in protecting our shared global environment.