Representatives from customs and enforcement administrations as well as environment ministries of India and Nepal are participating in the first border dialogue of its kind to address the challenges of illegal trade in environmentally sensitive commodities across their common border.

Most environmental problems are transboundary in nature and can have a global impact. The illegal international trade in environmentally sensitive items such as ozone depleting substances (ODS), harmful chemicals, hazardous wastes, and endangered species is a substantial and increasingly lucrative business. It directly threatens human health, deteriorates the environment, contributes to species loss, results in revenue loss for governments and seriously undermines the effectiveness of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs).

During the three day workshop, representatives from India and Nepal will join hands in a border dialogue within the framework of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Green Customs Initiative facilitated by UNEP's Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (DTIE)'s OzonAction Programme based in Paris, France. The dialogue will also benefit from participation of representatives of the Green Customs Initiative and relevant Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) which include trade-related provisions.

The Green Customs Initiative is an unprecedented partnership of international organizations, whose objective is to enhance the capacity of customs and other relevant enforcement personnel to monitor and facilitate the legal trade and to detect and prevent illegal trade in environmentally sensitive commodities covered by relevant conventions and MEAs. This is achieved through awareness raising on all the relevant international agreements as well as provision of assistance and tools to the enforcement community.

Based on the past history of CFC trade in the sub-region, there is an urgent need to strengthen the collaboration between these neighbouring countries to monitor ODS trade and curb illegal movement of such commodities.

Dr. Young-Woo Park, Regional Director and Representative for Asia and the Pacific, UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, said "The Illegal trade in ODS has undermined countries' efforts to comply with the Montreal Protocol to phase out Ozone Depleting Substances. Especially with the advent of the key milestone for phase out of CFCs in Article 5 (developing) countries, the illegal movement of ODS may increase due to the upcoming complete ban of use and trade of CFCs from January 1, 2010. These global environmental crimes call for urgent global coordinated responses."

"By having this dialogue through the Green Customs framework, we could raise the awareness of border operation officers in combating illegal trade that may negatively affect the environment, and provide tools for operation and enforcement. We could also enhance border cooperation on control of the ODS trade and in the fight against illegal trade in a concerted manner between India and Nepal through establishing an action plan and strengthening the existing compliance system" said Sri Alok Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Urban Development, Environment and Homeguard to the government of Uttar Pradesh, India.

Participants to this dialogue consist of wide range of stakeholders in preventing illegal trade. Dr. Sitaram Joshi, Director General, Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology, Nepal said "In order to enhance synergy in enforcing environmental agreements at the border, participants to this dialogue include the stakeholders from both countries such as customs officers, border agencies, border police, national ozone officers and business partners. We also have participation of experts from related MEAs, National Academy of Customs, Excise and Narcotics (NACEN), the Indian para-military force (SSB), Green Customs' Partner organisations and UNEP".