Channels of communication can allow for informal contacts among national enforcement officials, rather than through cumbersome formal diplomatic routes that might otherwise be required. Such informal channels of communication are critical in ensuring that the State’s relevant contacts can participate effectively in enforcement-related networks and are able and willing to share information in an informal, real-time basis, consistent with their laws, as well as through more formal means.
Developing appropriate channels of communication is the first step to encouraging officials to pick up the phone, e-mail, or otherwise contact their counterpart in another State when they have information that may help initiate or bolster an enforcement action, as long as that contact is consistent with domestic law. INECE and Interpol have facilitated the development of such networks at the regional and global levels.
Networks for judicial communication, such as the European Judicial Network example provided below, also can play an important role in information sharing between States that are working on the same environmental crime and other legal issues. In addition, UNEP’s Judges Programme and the UNEP/IUCN Judicial Portal — discussed in a case study following Guideline 41(a)
(v) — provide opportunities for judges to exchange experiences.