Just as the environment can be described as a seamless web with each strand dependent upon the other for its continued existence, the management of that web demands an integrated, holistic approach. In other words, approaching various environmental issues in a piecemeal fashion can be problematic: coordination among all levels and sectors of government, and with NGOs and the private sector is key for effective enforcement.
How that coordination and cooperation is fostered and encouraged will vary from country to country. Some nations with a more centralized government will be able to foster it with comparative ease, whereas those with a more decentralized structure may have to expend more effort and even create procedures and mechanisms to facilitate cooperation. Depending on a country’s specific needs and the structure of its government, coordination can take the form of informal arrangements and practices or it can be mandated and established by laws, agreements, or guidelines.
Inter-Agency Coordination
Enforcement agencies, environmental authorities, and other government agencies that do 
not have a strictly environmental function (such as tax and customs officials) should work together at all levels to maximize cooperation. Moreover, linkages at the field level among various government bodies (not just the higher levels) are vital if environmental enforcement is to have maximum impact. If a government’s structure does not lend itself easily to inter-agency coordination, a variety of tools may be used to provide a framework for cooperation, including memoranda of understanding, coordination guidelines or rules of procedure for inter-agency communications.
In addition to the case studies here, see the case study on “Coordination of MEA Focal Points and Institutions in the Republic of Congo” following Guideline 24
.
Coordination Between National and Sub-national Governmental Units
In addition to coordination between and among governmental bodies at the national level, it is important to consider means for coordination between national environmental authorities and the corresponding agencies at the sub-national level (whether they are provinces, states, oblasts, municipalities, or other administrative unit). While such coordination is especially important in States with federal systems (see, e.g., the case study on the United States), it is also a consideration in non-federal systems (see, e.g., the case studies on Benin and Uganda). In fact, within the broader context of decentralization of authority and responsibilities for managing natural resources and addressing other environmental matters, coordination between national and sub-national units is gaining importance in many non-federal States.
Coordination with NGOs and the Private Sector
Just as NGOs and the private sector can improve a State’s record in environmental compliance when they are given access to environmental information, so coordination between government bodies and these entities can also strengthen enforcement. In many States, NGOs serve as unofficial “watchdogs” and their resources and dedication can support official enforcement efforts. In the same vein, the private sector can do a better job of self-policing and governing their own compliance if the government approaches compliance matters with them in a coordinated and cooperative fashion.
In addition to the case studies here, see the examples following Guidelines 41(k) and 48 (especially “Benin’s Experience with International Cooperation in Managing Protected Areas”).
Coordination among Government Agencies and Other National Entities
Authorities responsible for licensing systems that govern import and export of regulated substances (such as hazardous waste and chemicals) have the ability to greatly reduce international environmental crime if they are properly supported and coordinated with. Although government cooperation in all sectors is important, cooperation in this area warrants particular emphasis, given its potential for halting the dangerous illegal transboundary movements of hazardous materials and the challenges regarding illegal movements of CITES-listed species.
For additional information relating to import and export, see discussion accompanying Guideline 41(b).