Environmental aspects will be incorporated into the national strategy to combat organized crime

Representatives of the State Forest Resources Agency of Ukraine, together with officials from other government bodies, international and civil society organizations, and scientific experts, participated in the development of the national strategy to fight organized crime. In particular, one of its focus areas will be combating crimes against the environment.

The strategy is being developed as part of a series of consultations conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in collaboration with interested stakeholders. The main theme is crimes affecting the environment. This work has been ongoing since 2024 at the request of the Ukrainian government.

“Crimes against the environment pose a threat to the rule of law, governance, security, socio-economic development, and natural resource management. The importance of combating these crimes is increasing in Ukraine,” reports UNODC.

During the consultation held in Kyiv, chaired by the national coordinator of the UNODC project, Yuriy Marchenko, and the project coordinator from Austria, Elizabeth Seidel, discussions focused on amendments to environmental protection legislation, the need for effective public monitoring tools, and early prevention systems for environmental crimes. Strategic priorities in the fight against these crimes, their investigation, and judicial prosecution were also addressed.

International partners emphasize that Ukraine is rich in natural resources, which are of great importance for the country’s economic recovery and for integrating into the European Union’s “green” agenda. However, the full-scale invasion has increased the risks of illegal extraction, worsened environmental conditions, and caused pollution.

During the consultations, participants developed targeted recommendations for incorporating environmental aspects into the national strategy to combat organized crime, and identified hotspots of environmental crime within the country.