Organization: Wildlife Justice Commission
Name of Organization’s Representative: Lisa Hartevelt
Website: www.wildlifejustice.org
Email: email hidden; JavaScript is required
Country: The Netherlands
Which seat are you nominating for? International Member Organization Seat 2

Profile of Organization

The Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC) is a non-profit organization based in the Netherlands and operates globally. It works to curb wildlife crime, a serious form of organized crime, of which corruption is a key enabler, endangering the survival of many wild species. Our area of work is at the intersection of criminal justice and conservation. We strive for a world without wildlife crime because governments effectively enforce the law. In this regard, our mission is to disrupt and help dismantle the transnational criminal networks trading in wildlife, timber, and fish by collecting evidence and turning it into accountability.

Focusing on the most vulnerable species and the most prolific offenders, we actively assist national law enforcement agencies by gathering and sharing verifiable and actionable evidence of wildlife crimes.  We also undertake activities to strengthen the capacity of our law enforcement partners and empower governments to effectively enforce the law.

The WJC also works to raise awareness and build the political will needed to effectively address wildlife crime. We engage in multilateral fora, such as the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and proudly chair the UNCAC Coalition Working Group on Environmental Crime and Corruption.

Organization’s Experience

The WJC co-established the UNCAC Coalition Working Group on Environmental Crime and Corruption in June 2021 and has since served as the Working Group Chair. In this position, it has worked closely with UNCAC Coalition hub members and Working Group members (currently 160+) to raise awareness among policymakers and gauge political will at the multilateral level to effectively address the corruption that enables environmental crime. For example, to advocate for stronger anti-corruption frameworks to protect the environment and wildlife, the WJC organized a side-event on behalf of the Working Group during the 20th International Anti-Corruption Conference in December last year,  where working group members addressed the subject of “Environmental crime, corruption and the climate crisis: strengthening anti-corruption frameworks and enforcement measures to protect the environment, the climate and the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Communities” in a panel discussion.

Top Three Priorities to Achieve for the Coalition

Profile of Candidate

Lisa Hartevelt is Director of External Relations at the WJC and is responsible for its policy work. In this role, she is Chair of the UNCAC Coalition Working Group on Environmental Crime and Corruption.

Ms Hartevelt has over 15 years of professional experience in diplomacy, multilateral work, and strategic communications in an international environment. Prior to joining the WJC, Ms Hartevelt served in various positions at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, including representing the Tribunal vis-a-vis international stakeholders in New York, notably the United Nations, managing the Tribunal’s external communications and outreach, and serving as advisor to the Registrar and President. Ms. Hartevelt also worked as policy officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. She holds a master’s degree in International and European Law from the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (the Netherlands).