An Expert Workshop focusing on illegal, counterfeit and substandard pesticides was organized in Turin by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) on 1-2 October 2015.
The Expert Workshop shed light on the mechanisms and complexities of the pesticides supply chain. It represented an opportunity to share expertise and lessons learned, challenges and opportunities to mitigate the growing risks deriving from illegal trafficking of pesticides. The workshop involved key stakeholders such as representatives from the law enforcement, environmental agencies, the academia, the private sector and regional and international organisations.
In line with the ECOSOC resolution 2012/19, UNICRI is developing a programme aimed at enhancing an international strategy to counter organized crime involvement in the trafficking of illegal, counterfeit and substandard pesticides. The program seeks to deepen knowledge of current trends, identify and share good practices for detecting, investigating and prosecuting illegal and counterfeit pesticides related activities, and to improve capacities in countering the phenomenon.
The meeting in Turin addressed crucial topics such as the vulnerabilities of the legal supply chain and in particular illicit pesticides’ infiltration; the risks and advantages of modern technologies; the international and public-private cooperation in combating illicit pesticides and the enhancement of the regulatory framework and criminal justice response.
The meeting in Turin laid the basis for the development of an international network of key stakeholders and the design of a Road map for interventions to be carried out in 2016.
Participants included high level representatives from Brazil, Ghana, Finland, Italy, Moldova, Vietnam, Basel Convention Regional Center in China, Uk Intellitech Security Group, EUROPOL, Raoul Wallenberg Institute, Lund University, CropLife, Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Pesticides Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP), World Customs Organisation, INTERPOL and Reconnaissance International.