The Brazilian government announced this Monday (02/23) the expansion of the “Coalition for Multilateral Action Against Environmental Crimes,” with the accession of five new countries and eight civil society organizations, including the CIPÓ Platform. The announcement was made on the eve of the second meeting of the Intergovernmental Expert Group on crimes affecting the environment, held in Vienna from February 24 to 26.
The following countries have joined the Coalition: China, Morocco, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and the Central African Republic. On the civil society side, in addition to the CIPÓ Platform, the organizations joining the initiative are Instituto Igarapé, the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, Freeland, Amazon Underworld, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Environmental Investigation Agency, and the Wildlife Justice Commission.
Created in November 2025, the Coalition aims to promote the establishment of a binding legal framework to address environmental crimes within the scope of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC). The proposal seeks to strengthen international cooperation and enhance legal instruments to combat practices such as wildlife trafficking, the illegal extraction of natural resources, and other transnational environmental offenses.
With the new members, the Coalition now comprises 16 countries—including Brazil—and 10 civil society organizations. The initiative remains open to additional members.
CIPÓ’s participation reinforces the organization’s engagement in international agendas related to environmental governance, the strengthening of multilateralism, and the fight against illicit activities that impact the environment. By joining the Coalition, CIPÓ will contribute to technical discussions and proposals aimed at building more effective international mechanisms for the prevention and prosecution of environmental crimes.
