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volvement in illegal practices to discourage investors and stock
markets from funding them. When combined with economic
incentives, through REDD+ and trade opportunities through
CITES and FLEGT, these actions may become successful in
reducing deforestation, and ultimately, carbon emissions.
Priority attention must also be given to investigation of tax
fraud, corruption and anti-laundering, including substantially
increasing the investigative and operational capacity of nation-
al task forces working with INTERPOL, against logging compa-
nies, plantations and mills.
The newly established International Consortium on Combating
Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), chaired by the CITES Secretariat and
comprised of INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs
and Crime (UNODC), the World Bank and the World Customs
organization (WCO), provides a substantial new commitment to
the sharing and coordination of a comprehensive international
effort to help combat wildlife crime, including illegal logging.
ICCWC represents the entire enforcement chain – customs,
police and justice. It also addresses anti-money laundering and
serves as a model at the international level for the sort of coop-
eration that is required amongst enforcement agencies at the
national level to more effectively combat illegal international
trade in timber products.
The cost of implementing an effective international law en-
forcement scheme and training capacity to substantially reduce
the emissions from illegal logging is estimated to be approxi-
mately US$ 20–30 million dollars annually. While INTERPOL
is currently leading the police related law enforcement response
through Project LEAF, its success requires strong, constant, and
sustainable commitment from governments, civil society, and
the private sector.