21 May 2015: Five enforcement officers and eight organizations working on addressing illegal trade in wildlife, chemicals and waste in the Asia Pacific region received the Asia Environmental Enforcement Award (AEEA). This award is a joint initiative of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and Freeland, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and USAID.

The award aims to encourage countries, organizations and individuals in the region to fight environmental crime and to reward excellence in enforcement. Winners include officers from Cambodia, China, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Tonga, and Viet Nam, responsible for confiscating approximately US$69 million in illegal contraband, logs and wood charcoal and seizures of nearly 300,000 tons of hazardous waste, wildlife products and timber. Investigations into these crimes have resulted in nearly US$40 million in fines and more than US$100 million in frozen assets. Organizations recognized include the Anti-Money Laundering Office of Thailand, the Nanjing Customs District in China, the Philippine National Police – Maritime Group and the Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team, Cambodian Forestry Administration, Royal Gendarmerie Khmer and Wildlife Alliance in Cambodia.

The AEEA ceremony was held back-to-back with the Asia Pacific Roundtable on Environmental Rule of Law for Sustainable Development that opened today on the margins of the First Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific. [UNEP News] [Asia Pacific Forum Webpage]