Asia and the Pacific

Our Work

As a hotspot of biodiversity, Asia and the Pacific is being threatened by criminal activities. Forests are shrinking faster in south-east Asia than anywhere else in the world with a loss of 376,000 km²from 1990 to 2020 - equivalent to the whole surface of Japan. Southeast Asian countries are source, transit and destination markets for illegal wildlife trade. Wildlife and forest crime pose a serious risk to biodiversity and have contributed to the near extinction of rare mammals, birds and reptiles. Tackling the illegal wildlife trade through a One Health approach is crucial to preserve biodiversity while preventing the transmission of diseases from wildlife to humans.

With a 171% increase of plastic waste imports between 2016 and 2018, ASEAN is the main receiving region in the world. The management of imported waste has become an opportunity for the infiltration of organized crime. UNODC addresses the illegal flow of waste as a way to support circular economies while promoting the rule of law.

The UNODC Environment Team initiated activities in Southeast Asia in 2010 and more recently expanded its technical assistance to Member States in South Asia and the Pacific. Its work has also adapted to cover broader crimes that affect the environment including through its newly launched projects SAFE and Unwaste.

Webstories

13 December 2024

Global Operation Successfully Returns Almost 1000 Vulnerable and Endangered Animals to Madagascar

5 December 2024

47 trafficked lemurs and 155 trafficked tortoises repatriated to Madagascar

4 November 2024

UNODC and partners launch First Wildlife Week - winning against crime

11 July 2024

Doing nothing is not an option: SAFE project sets the stage for a regional strategy to prevent zoonotic disease emergence and transmission from illegal wildlife trade

Wildlife Crime

The Environment Team works with legal systems and law enforcement agencies of Member States in Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Pacific to: strengthen policy, legislative and regulatory frameworks; enhance knowledge and skills to investigate and prosecute related criminal activities; increase awareness regarding the nature and scale of wildlife and forest crimes; and enhance cooperation on a bilateral and regional level.

SAFE

The Safety across Asia For the global Environment project improves the understanding of the linkages between wildlife crime and the emergence of zoonotic diseases. Through a risk assessment framework, the project supports the identification of facilities with a high risk of disease transmission from wild animals to humans and proposes mitigation strategies.

Unwaste

The Unwaste initiative brings together experts and policymakers to fight against waste trafficking between the EU and Southeast Asia. By analysing waste flows and through inter-regional dialogues, the project supports ongoing efforts towards a circular economy transition.

Multimedia

UNODC Explains

Wildlife crime: Don't be part of it!

Asia wildlife enforcement

Gallery

Rhino horn scanners

Scanners donated to China Customs lead to new lines of investigation

Prosecutor training

Training on financial investigations for prosecutors in Viet Nam

Lab support

Lab technician conducts analysis on seized wildlife samples

Customs Operation

Seizure made by Cambodia Customs under Operation Mekong Dragon III

Investigator training

Practical training for investigators in Lao PDR

Lab mentorship

TRACE and IEBR staff working on a skull at Viet Nam lab

Controlled deliveries

Training brings enforcement officers from Africa & Asia together

Drafting legislation

Regional workshop on drafting legislation to combat wildlife crime

CSI training

Hands-on training for investigators of wildlife crime

Publications

Rapid Assessment - Fiji

Rapid Assessment - Solomon Islands

Rapid Assessment - Vanuatu

Rapid Assessment - Papua New Guinea

Rapid Assessment - Malaysia

Rapid Assessment - Thailand

Upper Mekong study

Guide on pathogen exposure

UNODC has a large team across the Asia Pacific region. For further information on our work, you may contact our Asia Pacific Coordinator, Ms. Jenna Dawson-Faber at unodc-cae[@]un.org

United Nations

Office on Drugs and Crime