Environmental Crime Conference
Brendan OConnor
posted Tuesday, 23 February 2010
Minister for Home Affairs, Brendan O'Connor, has welcomed a regional conference on environmental crime and anti-money laundering, which is being held in Wollongong until the 26th of February.
"This conference is an important and innovative step in working with our regional neighbours to target the organisers and beneficiaries of environmental crime, particularly illegal logging and fishing, by using anti-money laundering systems", Mr 'Connor said.
"They also act as a powerful disincentive to the illicit exploitation of our natural resources, by offering a mechanism to confiscate the proceeds of these crime."
The conference is an Australian Government initiative hosted by the Attorney-General's Department, the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) and the University of Wollongong.
The conference has welcomed domestic and international experts from governments, non-government organisations, academic institutions and regional and international organisations.
Delegates from forests, fisheries and financial intelligence agencies from 19 countries across the Asia-Pacific are attending.