IRAN Statement at the First Meeting of the Open-ended IEG on Crimes that Affect the Environment under Agenda Item 2 - (30 June 2025)

Agenda Item 2: Stocktaking of the application and collective implementation of the United Nations Transnational Organised Crime Convention in addressing crimes that affect the environment falling within the scope of the Convention and related offences covered by the Convention

Statement

by

 the Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran

before

the First Meeting of the Open-ended

Intergovernmental Expert Group on Crimes that Affect the Environment

 

Agenda Item 2: Stocktaking of the application and collective implementation of the United Nations Transnational Organised Crime Convention in addressing crimes that affect the environment falling within the scope of the Convention and related offences covered by the Convention

 

 (30 June to 2 July 2025)

In the name of God, the most Compassionate, the most merciful

 

 Mr. Chair,

At the outset, we would like to express our gratitude to you for your election and our appreciation to the secretariat for convening this session and thanks to the panellists for their insightful presentation.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is pleased to inform you that in May 2025, our Expediency Council approved Iran's accession to the UNTOC. This highlights Iran's unwavering commitment to combating transnational organised crime. We have taken significant measures in line with the Convention’s objectives, including crimes that affect the environment falling within the scope of the Convention.

Iran firmly believes that protecting the environment is essential for preserving societal well-being and fostering sustainable economic development, in particular for future generations. Crimes that affect the environment not only cause environmental damage but also undermine the rule of law and economic stability. In this regard, Iran’s Constitution and laws and regulations place a high priority on environmental protection. Specifically, Principle 50 of the Constitution states that “the preservation of the environment, in which the present as well as future generations must enjoy a flourishing social life, is regarded as a public duty.” In line with this, Iran has enacted domestic laws and legislations which criminalise activities harmful to the environment.

We have taken necessary measures, including establishing a National Working Group to Combat Wildlife Trafficking. This group unites law enforcement, customs, environmental, and smuggling control agencies to coordinate detection, investigations and prosecutions of crimes that affect the environment and related crimes, especially those committed through cyberspace. A dedicated environmental hotline has been launched to enable our citizens to report anonymously. Simultaneously, penalties have been significantly intensified.

 

 

Mr. Chair,

We reaffirm that efforts in addressing, preventing and combating crimes that affect the environment should be in accordance and consistent with the fundamental principles of international law and the principles set forth in the Charter of the United Nations, in particular, sovereign equality and territorial integrity of States and the principal of non-intervention in the domestic affairs of other States. In the same vein, tackling these offences necessitates robust international cooperation, rooted in full respect for the permanent sovereignty of states over their natural resources, as affirmed by UN General Assembly Resolution 1803 (XVII) of 14 December 1962. This principle guarantees that Member States freely exercise their inalienable right to govern their natural wealth and resources in accordance with their national interests and development priorities, particularly the economic development of developing countries. Any violation of these rights is in contravention of the UN Charter and hinders international cooperation.

The UNTOC provides a universal and flexible legally binding framework for addressing crimes that affect the environment falling within its scope, taking into account Article 2 (b) of the Convention which defines "serious crime" as conduct constituting an offence punishable by the domestic law. Article 3 further stipulates that the Convention applies to the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of such serious crimes when they are transnational in nature and involve an organised criminal group. So, numerous crimes that affect the environment fulfil the Convention's criteria due to their organised and transnational nature.

The transnational nature of these crimes presents significant challenges for national law enforcement agencies. For instance, wildlife trafficking often involves complex networks spanning multiple jurisdictions, making unilateral action or measures insufficient. The UNTOC addresses these matters by providing mechanisms for international cooperation, including mutual legal assistance, extradition, and joint investigations, as outlined in Articles 16, 18, and

27. These mechanisms enable Parties to collaborate effectively in investigating and prosecuting crimes that affect the environment.

The applicability of the UNTOC to crimes that affect the environment was acknowledged at the time of its adoption. The General Assembly Resolution 55/25 of 15 November 2000, which adopted the UNTOC, explicitly highlighted its role in addressing illicit trafficking in endangered species of wild flora and

fauna. This recognition highlights the Convention as a pivotal international framework fostering collaboration among Parties to prevent and combat these crimes effectively. Furthermore, Parties strengthened their commitment through the adoption of the Kyoto Declaration and recent resolutions in the Conference of the Parties to the UNTOC, which encourage states to enhance measures aimed at preventing and combating these crimes.

 

 

Mr. Chair,

Given the UNTOC’s legal flexibility and comprehensive scope to cover crimes that affect the environment by applying its related criteria under domestic law, Parties should focus on effective implementation of the Convention including through strengthening domestic laws and legislations to ensure that crimes affecting the environment are adequately criminalised and penalised in accordance with defined UNTOC standards and its applicable practices.

Last but not least, gaps and challenges in the implementation of the UNTOC for these crimes often arise from a combination of factors, including insufficient awareness, divergent national priorities, structural inequities—such as access to technology and equipment—and limited institutional capacity and resources, particularly in developing countries. In addition, the imposition, maintenance and promulgation of Unilateral Coercive Measures (UCMs) continue to pose significant obstacles, severely infringing upon affected States' ability to engage actively in international cooperation and to access the means necessary to combat crimes that affect the environment. Therefore, meaningful, inclusive, and adequately resourced international cooperation, along with effective actions, in this area must be prioritised as a prerequisite and strengthened. Such cooperation must aim to effectively complement and reinforce, not diminish or subsume, domestic policies in developing countries, ensuring these efforts lead to promote sustainable economic development without undermining or overshadowing national initiatives.

 

 

Thank you.