A recently launched partnership between Interpol and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Project LEAF (Law Enforcement Assistance for Forests) is an initiative dedicated to combating forest crime, including illegal logging and timber trafficking. Project LEAF seeks to respond to organized transnational forest-criminal activity through an international, coordinated response and in collaboration with national law enforcement agencies. Specific activities involve gathering information and generating relevant analysis, build in-country law enforcement capacity, and providing insights into the way organized crime operates.

Geographical Areas of Interest

Global

Supply Chain Focus

Forest production

Trade

Related CHapters

Traceability

The project is seeks to provide an overview of the extent, primary geographic locations, and routes, of networks involved in illegal logging, corruption, fraud, laundering and smuggling of wood products.

Information Accuracy

The project seeks to provide an overview of the extent, primary geographic locations and routes, of networks involved in illegal logging, corruption, fraud, laundering and smuggling of wood products.

Legality

The project provides an overview of the extent, primary geographic locations, routes, causes and structure of networks involved in illegal logging, corruption, fraud, laundering and smuggling of wood products. Another objective is to provide support to countries in improving enforcement efforts, and build the capacity for law enforcement by providing training and operational support; a third objective involves developing best practices for combating forest-related corruption. Under Project LEAF, INTERPOL will conduct groundbreaking, intelligence-led law enforcement operations to combat illegal logging.

Climate

One of the objectives of the project is to develop best practices for combating REDD-related and forest-related corruption.