KATHMANDU: A regional seminar in Kathmandu has called for stronger cross-border cooperation among law enforcement agencies, customs authorities and international organizations to combat the growing threat of waste trafficking in South and Southeast Asia.
The two-day seminar, held on June 24–25, was jointly organized by the Embassy of France in Nepal and the French Homeland Security Service of the Embassy of France in India, building on the success of a regional seminar on wildlife trafficking held in Nepal in 2024.
The event brought together officials from Nepal’s Department of Customs, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, the Ministry of Forests and Environment, and the Ministry of Home Affairs, alongside representatives from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam.
Experts from the French National Gendarmerie’s Law Enforcement Directorate for Environment and Public Health (CESAN), INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the private sector also participated.
The seminar served as a platform to exchange practical experiences, share best practices and discuss strategies for strengthening regional cooperation against illegal waste trafficking.
Speaking at the opening session, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of France in Nepal Elsa Calley thanked the Government of Nepal for facilitating the event, saying it reflected the shared commitment of France and Nepal to tackling environmental crime through closer cooperation among law enforcement agencies.
Deputy Homeland Security Attaché at the Embassy of France in India, Christel Fontaine, highlighted the growing scale of environmental crime, noting that waste trafficking has become the world’s fourth most profitable criminal activity, generating an estimated US$70 billion to US$213 billion annually.
Colonel Sébastien Nochez of CESAN outlined France’s integrated approach to preventing and investigating environmental crime. He also presented the European “UNITE” programme, implemented in 2023–2024 with partners from Europe, Asia and Africa, to combat waste trafficking, particularly in South and Southeast Asia.
UNODC representative Muendao Suandee highlighted the regional WasteNet project, stressing the need for stronger inter-agency collaboration and faster mutual legal assistance to trace illegal waste shipments and dismantle the financial networks behind them.
INTERPOL Environmental Security Sub-Directorate Operations Coordinator Michele Viale warned that illicit waste trafficking enriches organized criminal groups while posing serious threats to the environment and public health, calling for a coordinated international response.
Guillaume Dourdin, Chief Executive Officer of Veolia India, underscored the importance of strengthening recycling value chains and promoting circular economy practices to address waste management challenges.
Case studies presented by Sri Lanka and Bangladesh illustrated increasing pressure on ports, shipping routes and maritime security due to illegal waste trafficking across the region.
The seminar concluded with a visit to Kathmandu-based Moware Lab, a Nepali social enterprise that transforms plastic and glass waste collected from Sagarmatha National Park into artwork and household products.
The programme was organized under the Nepal-France Green Roadmap, adopted in 2023 to strengthen bilateral cooperation on environmental issues, with financial support from France’s Directorate for Security and Defence Cooperation (DCSD) and the International Security Cooperation Directorate (DCIS).
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