STRENGTHENING RULE OF LAW ‘KEY’ TO UNLOCKING MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS, HEAD OF UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME TELLS THIRD COMMITTEE
Committee Hears from Some 35 Speakers as It Opens Debate
On Crime Prevention, Criminal Justice, International Drug Control
Strengthening the rule of law was “key” to unlocking the Millennium Development Goals, because without it countries could not promote integrity, security and justice, said Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Director-General of the United Nations Office in Vienna (UNOV), as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) met today to begin its general discussion on crime prevention, criminal justice and international drug control.
Without the rule of law, countries could not prosper, he said. Instead, they were “trapped in a malign spiral of underdevelopment leading to violence that feeds back into an even greater degree of poverty”. It was a vicious circle: due to a lack of resources, Governments of poor countries could not run proper administrations or control their territory; crime, therefore, prospered. Then, as countries became more and more ravaged by crime, their chances of prosperity shrank even further. The links between rule of law, justice, security, health, development, drugs and crime were undeniable and addressing one meant addressing them all.
In Afghanistan, the greatest challenge to long-term security, development and effective governance was drugs, the representative of Afghanistan said. Illegal drug production and trafficking was directly linked to the financing of terrorist and illegal activities. Thus, any efforts to fight terrorism needed to first address the links that existed between terrorism and drugs. As well, greater regional and international cooperation was needed to control the flow of drugs along transit routes into and out of the country. A trilateral agreement signed by Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan in 2007 would contribute significantly to those efforts, but more was needed.
The representative of Venezuela said his country was not a drug producer, but one of the countries along the transit route of international criminal organizations. National efforts to prevent trafficking by air, sea, waterways and land routes had achieved significant success, but drug-producing countries and drug-consuming countries needed to take on a share of the responsibility for combating drugs and related crimes in transit countries as well.
The representative of France, speaking on behalf of the European Union, acknowledged the importance of international cooperation in fighting drugs and all organized transnational crime. However, international cooperation went hand in hand with national efforts. Corruption, for example, was a problem that “ate away at … democracies from the inside out”. The European Union hoped that Governments around the world would be able to decide on a review mechanism to fight that phenomenon more effectively, before the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on corruption met next year.
The representative of Swaziland, speaking on behalf of the Southern African Development Community, suggested a greater dedication of resources for regional organizations, as they were most aware of the devastating impact of crime on national economies and development. A representative from one of those organizations, the African Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (UNAFRI), told the Committee that one of its priorities was to develop a Centre for Excellence for Crime Prevention and Sustainable Development that would support training, research, policy development and knowledge exchange among African countries and abroad, with an overall aim of building sustained development and national capacities to address the wide array of challenges they faced. However, he warned that regional organizations could not tackle those problems alone.
Delegates were unanimous in their call for greater international cooperation and support to combat crime, improve good governance and further overall development goals. Support ranged from greater financial support of viable alternatives to illicit crop production to more investments in reintegration programmes for criminal offenders to allow them to make a positive contribution towards development.
Also speaking were the representatives of Belarus (on behalf of the Commonwealth of Independent States), Kazakhstan (on behalf of the Collective Security Treaty Organization), Cuba, United States, Japan, Sudan, Bangladesh, Kenya, Colombia, Egypt, Iran, Liechtenstein, Algeria, Jamaica (on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)), Thailand, Russian Federation, Malaysia, China, Nigeria, India, Myanmar, Singapore, Kyrgyzstan, Philippines and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
Also delivering a statement was the Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus.
A representative of the International Organization on Migration also spoke.
The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, Friday, 10 October, to conclude its discussion on crime prevention, criminal justice and international drug control.
Background
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) met today to begin its general discussion on crime prevention, criminal justice and international drug control.
The Committee had before it the Secretary-General’s report on strengthening the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme, in particular its technical cooperation capacity (document A/63/99). The report summarizes the work done by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in support of Member States and their efforts to counter transnational organized crime, corruption and terrorism, as well as in preventing crime and reinforcing the criminal justice system. Highlighted in the report is a growing concern among Member States regarding increasing rates of offences relating to economic fraud and identity-related crime and UNODC efforts to provide a strategic and substantive framework for action. It also draws attention to other emerging policy issues in the areas of urban crime, cybercrime and international trafficking in forest products. The report emphasizes the need for regular and adequate resources to enable the UNODC to fully implement its mandate and to respond to complex programmatic and management challenges.
Also before the Committee was the report of the Secretary-General on the African Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (document A/63/87) that describes the Institute’s programmes, activities, governance and management throughout the past year. The report highlights the growing awareness among the Institute’s member States of the link between crime and social development and draws attention to the difficulties member States face in managing their criminal justice systems and promoting good governance and rule of law. Among those difficulties was the presence of ongoing conflicts, weak facilities, scarce resources, high illiteracy rates and wealth disparity. The report says those challenges had increased the need for concerted strategies, specialized technical support for capacity-building, the sharing of good practices and ongoing research to facilitate the development of policies and implementation of measures.
The Committee also had before it the Secretary-General’s report on improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons (document A/63/90). The report summarizes the work done by the UNODC to implement General Assembly resolution 61/180 entitled “Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons” and contains proposals on strengthening the capacities of the Office for the efficient implementation of its coordination functions. It draws attention to the call made by Member States at the thematic debate on human trafficking held by the General Assembly in June 2008 for the elaboration of a global action plan in support of the effective implementation of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children based on the three Ps of human trafficking: prevention; prosecution; and protection. It also invites Member States to consider increasing the level of funding provided for the anti-trafficking work of the UNODC through the regular budget of the United Nations.
The Committee also had before it the report of the Secretary-General on assistance in implementing the universal conventions and protocols related to terrorism (document A/63/89) that reviews progress made by the UNODC, in particular by its Terrorism Prevention Branch, with regard to the delivery of technical assistance for implementing the universal conventions and protocols related to terrorism. The report addresses the challenges ahead, especially in the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, and emphasizes the need for enhanced Government support to meet those challenges. It also calls attention to the work left to be done to achieve universal ratification of international instruments and their incorporation into national legislation, greater integration of the pertinent counter-terrorism aspects in all relevant substantive areas of UNODC mandates, such as countering money-laundering, transnational organized crime, drug trafficking and corruption, as well as supporting criminal justice reform.
While acknowledging voluntary contributions made by donor countries for counter-terrorism work, the report also underscores the need for an increase in the level of extra-budgetary and regular budget resources for UNODC technical assistance activities in the area of terrorism prevention. The report also highlights the imperative need to continue focusing attention on and providing support to efforts to strengthen the legal regime against terrorism and to enhance related national capacities.
Also before the Committee was the Secretary-General’s report on international cooperation against the world drug problem: progress achieved in meeting the goals and targets set out in the Political Declaration adopted by the General Assembly at its twentieth special session (document A/63/111). The report provides an overview of the status of the implementation of mandates relating to international drug control. Despite an apparent increase in the absolute number of cannabis, cocaine and opiates users, the report suggests that annual prevalence levels have remained stable in all drug markets. The consumption of amphetamine-type stimulants is still increasing, but at a slower rate than in the past. Achievements in the area of national drug control infrastructure over the reporting period demonstrate a high degree of sustained political commitment by Member States to tackling the world drug problem and are regarded as a significant accomplishment. The report includes recommendations to Member States to further expand and improve national drug control legislation and the coverage of demand reduction programmes and services, and to strengthen cross-border, subregional and regional technical assistance and cooperation.
The Committee also had before it a note by the Secretariat on preparations for the twelfth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (document A/C.3/63/L.2), which included a copy of the Economic and Social Council’s resolution 2008/22 of 24 July, 2008, to the General Assembly on the adoption of the draft resolution regarding preparations for the Twelfth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
Introduction of Reports
ANTONIO MARIA COSTA, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Director-General of the United Nations Office in Vienna (UNOV), introducing the report on the work of the UNODC over the past 12 months, said Member States should not focus on what they were against -- such as drugs, crime and terrorism -- but should instead focus on what they were for: justice; security; health; and development. Currently, countries at the bottom of the human development index had a number of things in common: mass poverty; mass epidemics; and also violence, illegality, crime and, very often, corruption. There was a clear correlation between weak socio-economic performance and weak rule of law.
Thus, he said, strengthening the rule of law was the key to unlocking the Millennium Development Goals. Without the rule of law, countries could not prosper, but were, instead, “trapped in a malign spiral of underdevelopment leading to violence that feeds back into an even greater degree of poverty”. That was why, since 2004, the UNODC had called for greater support for countries in West Africa that lacked the means to defend themselves from the onslaught of drug traffickers, who used that region as a hub for shipping their deadly wares from Latin America to Europe. Other regions beyond West Africa were also under attack from organized crime, such as countries in Central America and the Caribbean.
Another threat to development came from corruption, he continued. Corruption stole public money needed for education, roads and hospitals and undermined trust in Government and democracy. The UNODC had assisted countries to develop a review mechanism for the United Nations Convention against Corruption and had provided technical assistance on the issue. However, there was still a long way to go to strengthen the culture of integrity. Lack of security also enabled criminal activity to thrive, and it was no coincidence that illicit drugs were grown in parts of Afghanistan and Colombia that were largely outside the control of the central Government. It was also no surprise that routes for smuggling drugs, people, money and arms followed “the path of least resistance”, where border controls and law enforcement were weak. As well, the illicit exploitation of resources occurred in unstable regions. “Criminality profits from instability and tends to perpetuate it,” he said.
To enhance security in the face of transnational threats, he said it would be necessary to make more effective use of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its three protocols. “While we must think globally, we must act regionally”, he said. Strengthening national defences would be insufficient, and neighbours would need to work together, which was why his Office had brokered the establishment of a Central Asia crime intelligence sharing centre (CARICC) that would soon begin operations. As well, the UNODC was promoting trilateral counter-narcotics cooperation between Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan, and was working with Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organization of American States to reduce the vulnerability to drugs and crime in that region. His office also provided assistance in areas like counter-terrorism and had developed a range of practical tools to strengthen criminal justice, including methods to combat money-laundering and address the diversion of precursor chemicals. Turning to human trafficking, he said the UNODC’s work against human trafficking was now focused on the delivery of technical assistance to strengthen prevention, protection and prosecution. “Still, much more needs to be done to stop this modern form of slavery,” he said.
Organized crime could also be a health issue, said Mr. Costa. Fake medicines or the forced removal and trade of human organs were areas that required more attention. Obviously, drug trafficking was a major health issue, but there was strong evidence that the world drug problem had been stabilized. However, that news came with a warning message: the world’s drug problem had not moved irreversibly into remission, and more needed to be done to sustain progress in drug control and greater emphasis must be put on drug prevention and treatment. The UNODC was promoting a healthier approach to drug control and he urged Member States to participate in the finalization of a future “drug control blueprint”.
He pointed to a particular concern of his Office: that it had a mandate that was “too big to be small, while the UNODC as an institution is too small to be big”. As such, it was necessary to “fight the dark side of globalization as one United Nations”. Already, there was evidence of promising results in that regard. However, he reminded the Third Committee that the portfolio of the UNODC was expanding along with its resource needs. “Your expectations are rising above what we can deliver”, he said, but thanks to steps undertaken over recent years, the UNODC was better positioned and better equipped to contribute to a safer, healthier and more prosperous world.
Question and Answer Session
The representative of Belarus said the “fresh new format and emphasis” in the UNODC’s work was an indication of the links that existed between the social aspects of the world’s evils and issues of development and human wealth. Regarding human trafficking, he expressed concern over the possible creation of a new plan of action on the issue and wondered whether such a plan might diminish the effectiveness of the Convention against Human Trafficking and its protocols.
The representative of China asked how it might be possible to use the Convention against Corruption to enhance judicial cooperation between countries when corruption crossed geographic borders.
The representative of Sudan asked whether a representative from the African Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (UNAFRI) had been invited to participate in the current discussion, since no representative from that Institute seemed to be present. He also pointed out that the UNODC report did not seem to include any information on the role of the African Institute in UNODC efforts, despite the fact that there were definite areas of cooperation between the two bodies. As well, there was a lack of information in the report regarding the actions that the UNODC was taking regarding crimes perpetuated by peacekeepers, and he asked for further information on that topic.
The Secretary of the Committee, responding to the question regarding the participation of a representative of UNAFRI, said that the Executive-Director of the African Institute was scheduled to address the Committee in the morning session.
The representative of Benin asked for more information on the links between criminal groups and political activities, and whether the UNODC’s mandate would allow that Office to explore those links fully. He also asked for further clarification on whether Mr. Costa was suggesting, in his reports, that he supported the decriminalization of drugs to a certain degree, and whether he was suggesting that there was a certain age at which people could take drugs without the same negative effects as at other ages.
The representative of Malaysia raised the issue of piracy and the rising number of cases occurring in international waters. He asked whether the UNODC could, within its mandate, look at the use of money gained from robberies at sea and piracy for the purchase of firearms or other weaponry.
The representative of Egypt asked Mr. Costa for further insight into the idea of having a United Nations global action plan against trafficking in persons. African leaders had already taken a common decision to work together towards such a plan, considering the great impact of human trafficking on the region. She also sought further insight as to whether there were sufficient numbers of UNODC offices across the world, or whether more needed to be created.
The representative of Cameroon, following up on the comments made by the representative of China regarding corruption, asked for more information on the possibility of recovering assets from corruption across borders and the “bank secrecy” often involved in the recovery of those assets.
The representative of Pakistan asked for an update on discussions taking place in Vienna regarding human trafficking.
Also on the subject of corruption, the representative of Jordan asked for information on the major steps that had been taken to combat corruption in the Arab region.
Responding to calls for a global action plan on human trafficking, Mr. COSTA remarked that, at the moment, there were two possible prongs of action: first, on the legal and technical front, which related to implementation of internationally agreed documents concerning human trafficking; and second, through the act of summoning political will to tackle the problem, with a unified “international voice”. The upcoming meeting in Vienna was merely a meeting of countries that had ratified the protocol on human trafficking where they were expected to discuss the technical aspects of that legal treaty. The protocol did not suggest any specific action towards eradicating that crime, which was the purview of the General Assembly.
He said a legal instrument established the “law of the land”, but did not fully capture the profound tragedy of that crime -- which had its source in ignorance, conflict, gender discrimination and so on. The Assembly was the best organ to call for universal ratification of any convention, in such a way that demanded that countries upheld its spirit, and not merely the letter.
On asset recovery, Mr. Costa said it was well known that some countries had bled billions of dollars in stolen goods, courtesy of their “kleptocrats”. The logic of the instrument on corruption was to enable resources and expertise to flow towards countries seeking to recover those assets. So far, it had been a very promising interactive process. In relation to that subject, he said banking secrecy should no longer be used to obstruct investigations on corruption.
Mr. Costa said there was not much success in his effort to create a joint process amongst the various groups that existed around the world devoted to fighting crime. It was largely due to a lack of funding. He said his Office did not deal with issues relating to crimes committed by United Nations peacekeepers.
On the link between crime and politics, Mr. Costa said the convention against corruption and organized crime had touched on that issue, and noted that countries tended to be most active in pursuing politically supported crime after having undergone a regime change. Studies conducted by his Office had shown that there was a nexus between crime and economic development, where criminal leaders had became political leaders in the Balkans, for example. Among western African countries, drug lords were so powerful that they could successfully buy political protection.
Mr. Costa expressed support for the ideas of treating drug addiction as a health matter, and not merely a lifestyle choice. But, it should not be taken as support for legalizing drugs. Regarding the relationship between youth and drug addiction, he voiced support for programmes that tackled marijuana as an entry point to other drugs.
On piracy, Mr. Costa said the United Nations system was “at a loss” on what to do about it, despite having created texts decrying slavery, piracy and drugs from its earliest days. Certainly the Organization was not responsible for physical interception of pirates, which was the job of national navies. However, it was possible to view piracy through the lens of kidnapping and money-laundering, for which the United Nations had developed instruments.
He said his Office was present in 52 countries, in a variety of strengths, ranging from regional offices to national offices, as well as smaller project offices. Funding was a constraint, especially with funding from the United Nations regular budget at a standstill. Nevertheless, he would try to effect change in Iraq and the Arab world through his Office.
Responding to the representative of Sudan, who once more reiterated his questions regarding funding for the African Institute, Mr. COSTA said there was no direct budgetary support for that institute from his Office. On crime situations in countries with peacekeeping operations, he said his Office was helping establish strong judicial systems in countries emerging from conflict.
FABIEN FIESCHI (France), speaking on behalf of the European Union, acknowledged the importance of international cooperation in fighting organized transnational crime, and voiced the Union’s readiness to support mechanisms such as extradition, cross-border police and judicial cooperation. The European Union was a steadfast supporter of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocols, and hoped that the fourth conference of States Parties, from 8 to 17 October, would facilitate progress on its full implementation. For its part, the European Union was one of the biggest providers of technical assistance to States wishing to establish and protect the rule of law.
He said human trafficking, which brought huge profits for international networks that engaged in it, was intolerable. It was a modern form of slavery, requiring some sort of international strategy in order to eradicate it, whether among countries of origin, destination or transit. He drew attention to the Vienna Forum to Fight Human Trafficking, which was a technical assistance project to encourage States that had not already done so to develop specific legislation for fighting human trafficking. The views of the General Assembly had so far not been able to converge, with some countries stressing that all aspects of the issue must be examined before a strategy could be created, and others saying that the United Nations already had a strategy in the form of the “Palermo Protocol”. There was a proposal to formulate the key elements of the proposed strategy and to elaborate it further in Vienna.
He went on to address the issue of corruption, terrorism and drug trafficking. First, corruption was an obstacle to good governance, and “ate away at our democracies from the inside out”. The Union hoped that Governments around the world would be able to decide on a review mechanism to fight that phenomenon more effectively before the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on corruption met next year. Second, protecting citizens from terrorism was a responsibility of all Governments. He commended various United Nations bodies devoted to counter-terrorism, but also drew attention to the Convention on Forced Disappearances of Persons, which banned secret detention. Indeed, fighting terrorism should be carried out while respecting human rights. As for drugs, he urged that efforts be stepped up in terms of preventing the movement of chemical precursors used in drug manufacturing. In particular, he asked that Afghanistan and neighbouring countries, as well as transit countries, make firm commitments to request a system of prior notice of precursor exports. The United Nations should adopt a new political declaration on drug trafficking at its high-level meeting on the subject in 2009.
JOEL M. NHLEKO ( Swaziland), speaking on behalf of Southern African Development Community (SADC), stressed the importance of technical cooperation when addressing ways to combat inter-border crime. For its part, the Community had sponsored a course on policing violence against women and children, in Maputo, Mozambique, organized by the Southern African Regional Police Chief Council. He called for international support to help countries of southern Africa build their capacity to draft legislation against money-laundering and in shoring up anti-terrorism funding. International support was needed to deal with the scourge of terrorism, as well. A sustained universal commitment and a comprehensive set of actions at the national and international levels were imperative to suppress and eradicate terrorism.
The fight against corruption remained an “uphill battle” throughout the world, he said. The Southern African Development Community had strengthened its collaboration with development partners to combat corruption, but needed continued assistance in the future, particularly in the area of investigative methods to counter corruption. Resources should be forthcoming for regional organizations, like UNAFRI, to support them in their work, as well. On drugs, he noted with concern that, although there was a decline in the abuse of coca and opium, the consumption of amphetamines and cannabis had increased. Drug trafficking and drug abuse constituted a major threat to society and hampered social and economic development. Substance abuse also posed a serious mental and health challenge to drug abusers, and the cost of treating and rehabilitating those abusers was extremely high. There had been positive developments at regional and international levels, such as the establishment of a normative framework and coordinating structures. However, without the political will at the highest levels to implement commitments, further progress would not be achieved.
ANDREI DAPKIUNAS (Belarus), speaking on behalf of the Commonwealth of Independent States, pointed to the legal workshop of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Minsk, in January, as an excellent example of cooperation between the UNODC and the Commonwealth’s Executive Committee. The legal and organizational basis for cooperation between countries of the Commonwealth was “in the process of development”, with several agreements having been elaborated on money-laundering, financing for terrorism, combating thefts of items of cultural value and migration issues. He noted the link between those crimes and the broader phenomena of terrorism, the illegal trade of arms and drugs, transnational organized crime and corruption in general.
He said the Governments of the Commonwealth of Independent States attached great importance to the problem of human trafficking, and had adopted two model laws to protect the rights of trafficking victims. They had also developed recommendations on ways to unify legislation on human trafficking. Since the number of crimes relating to human trafficking was on the increase, the group supported the United Nations initiative to elaborate a new global document on that problem. To further intensify cooperation in combating crime in general, the Heads of State of countries belonging to the Commonwealth were expected to hold a discussion, on 10 October, in the Kyrgyz Republic.
BYRGANYM AITIMOVA ( Kazakhstan), speaking on behalf of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, focused on the issue of drug trafficking. She voiced support for the United Nations decision to hold a high-level event in March 2009 to review progress on the implementation of the political declaration relating to the fight against drugs. Heroin consumption resulted in up to 50,000 deaths annually in countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Over 90 per cent of the global heroin production took place in Afghanistan, with up to 150 tons reaching Russia and Europe by way of Central Asia through the so-called “northern route”. Given those circumstances, regional cooperation would seem to be the most efficient way to tackle the illegal drug trade, and increased counter-narcotics cooperation between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization would certainly be desirable.
She said the Paris-Moscow process had contributed substantially to mobilizing international efforts to fight the “Afghan drug expansion”, and that the Treaty Organization had already formed a counter-narcotics “channel” that was steadily gaining popularity with countries outside of the Treaty. As a result of Operation Channel 2008, 11.5 tons of drugs had been seized to date. Furthermore, the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre, led by the Government of Uzbekistan, was seeking to gather information on drugs flowing from Afghanistan, and would begin cooperating with UNODC, in that regard. To strengthen border security systems, the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States had adopted a joint action programme to combat the illegal trafficking of drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors.
RAFAEL GARCIA ( Cuba) said the gap between developed and developing countries had worsened over the years. The impact of the current economic situation on third world countries had resulted in an even greater deterioration in the quality of life in developing regions. Poverty and destitution created a breeding ground for crime, and countries struggling to achieve basic development goals were often unable to keep that crime under control. It was especially difficult for some countries to fight crime when they lacked the necessary resources to do so due to an unfair international order that left them “asphyxiated by debt”. At the same time, crime was becoming more complex and diversified. It was also becoming institutionalized, as “supra-national organizations” acting in an omnipotent manner, furthering corruption, violence and terror and destabilizing the economies of countries.
The solutions to the problems facing the world in regards to crime were well known, he said. However, those solutions often lay abandoned on shelves, never to be implemented. It was urgently necessary to restructure the current international order, based on shared but differentiated responsibilities, to help achieve a more balanced distribution of wealth. The worst form of transnational organized crime was drug trafficking, and he emphasized his Government’s willingness to combat drug trafficking at the national, regional and international levels, based on the respect for the sovereignty of all States. The main responsibility for fighting drug trafficking should rest with the countries in which drugs were most frequently consumed, though all countries had a responsibility, as well. At the national level, Cuba had made significant progress in the fight against crime, and money-laundering, arms smuggling and illicit drug trafficking were now all punishable offences. Offenders were also offered training and education to help them reintegrate into communities once their punishments ended and to help them to make a positive contribution to society. In conclusion, he stressed his Government’s willingness to work towards similar progress on an international level, as well.
DAVID T. JOHNSON, Assistant-Secretary of the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau of the United States Department of State, said that companies that engaged in criminal and corrupt behaviour, such as bribery, reinforced the criminal behaviour of Government officials and fed a vicious cycle of supply and demand for further bribery. The United States had targeted foreign bribery by American companies, with the support of foreign authorities and mutual legal assistance mechanisms. Thanks to those efforts, many American companies had changed the way they did business and had improved shareholder accountability, while proving that compliance with anti-corruption codes of conduct was “good business”. Still, more needed to be done and recent revelations had shown that some multinational companies continued to maintain off-the-books slush funds and pay billions of dollars in bribes.
Public corruption was an international problem that required an international solution, he continued. The Convention against Corruption was a comprehensive road map to address both the supply and demand of corrupt international practices and served as a solid global foundation on which to build. Its parallel Convention against Transnational Organized Crime was equally important. The threat of international drug trafficking was difficult to fight, but there had been significant success stories, particularly in countries like Colombia and Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, the efforts of an expanded Government authority, supported by the international community, had succeeded in reducing nationwide poppy cultivation by 19 per cent. In the future, there must be greater emphasis placed on security and governance to promote alternative development and eliminate illicit drug crops. The fight against international drugs, crime and corruption was a long-term process that required fundamental changes in the way Governments worked together.
SHIGEKI SUMI ( Japan) said threats from transnational organized crime -- including human trafficking, arms trafficking, cybercrime, money-laundering, terrorism and corruption -- could not be addressed by any one country on its own, but instead required strong international cooperation and coordination. In particular, the international community needed to recognize that transnational organized crime, terrorism, drug problems and corruption were interrelated. To address those issues, it was essential to establish the rule of law, develop human resources and create the necessary socio-economic infrastructure. As well, aid policy on those issues needed to include a human security perspective, to protect individuals and empower them and their communities.
Turning to the area of human trafficking, he said that Japan had taken a number of steps at the national level to help eliminate human trafficking and assist victims. It had also supported the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking. Similar national and international efforts by his Government had been exerted to address issues of terrorism and corruption, as well. In regard to the war against drugs, it was essential to maintain the momentum generated at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session to fight the pernicious effects of drugs. Problems caused by synthetic drugs in Asia, the drug problems in the region around Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan, and drug problems caused by the illicit trafficking in drugs via Africa were all growing worse. As such, he welcomed the discussion that was held in the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. Collective international efforts could make a difference and create a society free from transnational organized crime, terrorism, illicit drugs and corruption.
IDREES MOHAMED ALI MOHAMMED SAEED ( Sudan), before delivering his statement, expressed regret that the Chair had not adhered to the speakers’ list. He was to have been the seventh speaker.
Returning to the topic at hand, he noted that there had been several serious attempts to lay the necessary foundation for the elimination of crime everywhere. In addition, the Economic and Social Council had agreed to avail itself to Member States in the provision of advisory services and other forms of expertise. However, uneven economic development in the world meant that many countries were too poor to effectively fight crime. A more holistic approach to crime prevention should first afford developing States with the necessary assistance to achieve their Millennium Development Goals.
He discussed the Sudan’s efforts to enforce international crime-fighting conventions in his immediate region, including on money laundering, trafficking in human organs, and others. In May, the Government in Khartoum had hosted a session of the African Institute to discuss long-term measures to combat crime. In terms of drug trafficking, he said the Sudan had worked with civil society to confine that scourge and limit its spread. In addition, guided by the directives of the Africa Summit, the Sudan would support international efforts to prevent human trafficking. The cross-border nature of most crimes made it incumbent on countries to act together to provide lesser-equipped States with the means to do their part.
Chairman FRANK MAJOOR ( Netherlands) replied to the comment by the Sudan’s delegate regarding the order of speakers, voicing hope that, as Chair, he would be granted some flexibility in running the Committee. In terms of determining the order of speakers, he said it was particularly true in cases where the person allocated to speak was not present at the appointed time, for example. In fact, there had been changes to the order of speakers at yesterday’s meeting. Nevertheless, he understood that the representative of the Sudan would have liked to have been informed of the changes in the order of speakers today, and he apologized if he had offended that speaker in any way.
Before the next speaker came to the floor, the representative of the Sudan then raised a point of order to reiterate his case. He pointed out that the changes from yesterday were due to people not being present when it was their turn to speak, which was not the case today. He understood that changes would sometimes be made if high-level officials wished to speak first, but that was not the case today. He added that he had inscribed himself to the speakers list almost two weeks ago.
ISMAT JAHAN ( Bangladesh) said the success of UNODC’s work on judicial and criminal justice reform depended on the efforts of Member States, who had to take ownership of the reform process through long-term interventions. In Bangladesh, reforming the criminal justice system was a top priority, and efforts had already been undertaken to enhance the system’s accessibility and to address weaknesses in crime detection and law enforcement mechanisms. Organized crime was now a highly sophisticated cross-border issue, and national strategies were inherently inadequate as a response. International cooperation was absolutely imperative and could be developed under the aegis of the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. The fight against corruption was also a priority for Bangladesh, and strong reform measures in that regard were already under way. His Government had undertaken the necessary measures to bring back money that had been illegally transferred abroad. However, asset recovery remained a major challenge.
On terrorism, hesaid Bangladesh had brought its domestic legislation in line with the provisions and the requirements of international law. Global counter-terrorism measures needed to be more effective, and collective efforts would need to address the cross-cutting aspects of crime, drugs and terrorism. Finally, he noted the importance that hisGovernment placed on combating human trafficking, particularly in regard to women and children. Policies had been adopted that allowed for legal actions to be taken against illegal recruiters of migrant workers and extended legal assistance to victims of trafficking. Combating transnational organized crime, corruption and terrorism were daunting tasks for every society, rich or poor. Developing countries were particularly vulnerable to the rapid proliferation of crime in its newer manifestations, and those countries should be provided with the necessary resources and technical assistance to tackle those predicaments. Member States should, thus, work to make UNODC more effective, by improving its financial situation and governance structure.
ZACHARY D. MUBURI-MUITA ( Kenya) welcomed the strengthening of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme, saying his country had benefited from various assistance programmes undertaken by UNODC. Its seminars and training programmes in criminal justice and law enforcement had strengthened Kenya’s capacity to fight the complex web of transnational crime. For instance, Kenya’s Commissioner of Police had spearheaded amendments to the Firearms Act that provided more stringent measures relating to firearms possession. Member States should marshal the political will needed to ratify and/or accede to, as well as implement, the various Conventions relating to crime prevention, including the Convention on transnational organized crime and its protocols (such as the one on illegal firearms), because an effective collective response was the only way to strengthen the international treaty framework. For its part, Kenya had acceded to the Convention and each of its three protocols.
He said Kenya was a preferred transit route for many international drug dealers, leading the Government to strengthen its anti-narcotics measures despite its limited capacity to do so. Its intensified resolve had led to the seizure of 1.1 metric tons of cocaine with a street value of $90 million in 2004. In 2006, the drugs were destroyed with the help of UNODC in a very public display. In view of UNODC’s support, he endorsed the Secretary-General’s recommendation to provide that Office with adequate funding from the regular budget to enable it to meet its mandate.
He went on to touch briefly on money-laundering and financing of terrorism, and the need to investigate the links between those activities and corruption. Kenya aimed to establish an anti-money-laundering regime, having already established a national task force on anti-money-laundering and combating the financing of terrorism. In addition, it had adopted a policy of zero tolerance for corruption, while upgrading its legal framework and strengthening the relevant institutions in the process. Two acts -- the Public Officer Ethics Act and the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act -- established comprehensive rules on transparency and accountability.
CLAUDIA BLUM ( Colombia) said that the devastating phenomenon of illicit drugs had affected her country at the social, environmental and security levels. As such, her Government had invested large financial resources to combat the problem to great success. Indeed, in 2007, 20 per cent of the world’s cocaine seizures occurred in her country. Forced eradication was one of the pillars of Colombia’s anti-drug policy. Alternative development was another pillar and was an essential element in consolidating long-term sustainability. Alternative development programs sought to generate legal, productive alternatives for families who abandoned the production of illicit crops, and it helped to improve food security through the sustainable use of natural resources. Creating sustainable environments for families and generating social and economic development required the investment of national resources and international cooperation. As such, she called for a greater commitment by donor countries in alternative development projects, including preferential access for products from those initiatives in international markets.
The world drug problem had global dimensions that affected all countries, she continued. Therefore, it was essential to strengthen international cooperation, based on the principle of shared responsibility. Member States should reaffirm that principle and their commitment to address the global drug problem at the follow-up to the Twentieth Special Session of the General Assembly, within a framework of international cooperation. The international community should not limit itself to simple containment of the problem. The objective must be to “overcome the scourge” as well as the criminal activities that supported it, such as money-laundering and illicit trafficking in firearms.
SOHA GENDI ( Egypt) noted that criminals took advantage of human vulnerabilities brought on by poverty and armed conflict. Criminal networks were able to profit from the general tendency to view people as cheap commodities to be bought and sought. The International Labour Organization, the International Organization on Migration and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) continued to report numerous instances of slavery, trafficking in women and children, prostitution and similar phenomena, despite the adoption of various international conventions to eradicate those activities. More than 12 million people were victims of forced labour, and the traffic in persons brought a profit of $32 billion annually. There were more than half a million women working in prostitution, and over 1 million boys and girls put to work in the sex trade, or as cheap labour. The annual profit for traffickers was $6 billion, which made trafficking in persons the third most profitable illegal trade in the world, next to the trafficking in illegal weapons and drugs.
He said Egypt had established a national committee on the prevention of trafficking in persons, designed to guide the Government in ensuring that national laws complied with international commitments. The committee was engaged in a campaign to raise awareness of the issue, and had established a special unit to prevent trafficking in children that operates a telephone hotline. Many of its programmes had been established with support of United Nations specialized agencies, most notably the UNODC in Cairo. The Egyptian campaign was slowly gaining ground at the regional level, and a decision was unanimously adopted at a summit in Sharm El-Sheikh directing the African Permanent Representatives in New York to work together on a United Nations global action plan
ESHAGH ALHABIB ( Iran) said illicit drug production and trafficking put the socio-economic and security situation of all societies at risk. The pervasive nature of the phenomenon could only be curbed through collective and concerted efforts, based on the principle of shared responsibility. However, there was currently no promising prospect of an immediate solution to the problem. Turning specifically to the situation in Afghanistan, he said that Western coalition forces in Afghanistan had helped to accelerate cultivation of opiate by military groups and warlords in different parts of Afghanistan. In order to control the flow of narcotics from Afghanistan, Iran had dedicated significant human and financial resources to help control and reinforce transit and border checkpoints. Those measures had resulted in the confiscation of massive amounts of various types of narcotics, so much so that Iran could now claim to have seized 80 per cent of the global opium and heroin seizures.
In the field of regional cooperation, he noted his Government’s collaboration with neighbouring countries and with countries along the Balkan Route. Iran was also cooperating closely with UNODC and would hold a regional conference on counter-narco-activities in 2009, with the Office’s support. Recently, Iran had hosted a trilateral meeting with Afghanistan and Pakistan to help synchronize anti-trafficking operations in the three countries. The narcotic drugs that originated in Afghanistan did not target neighbouring countries only. They affected many other countries far away from the region, as well. Thus, he urged the international community to pay more attention to the issue. “No country can tackle this scourge single-handedly,” he said.
VIKTAR GAISENAK, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, said steps being taken so far were insufficient to combat the trafficking of women and children. The international community must begin negotiations on a United Nations action plan during the current session, relying on the findings of numerous conferences, meetings and workshops previously held on the subject, including the conference on combating the trafficking of women and girls, as well as the General Assembly thematic debates on the topic. The inter-agency coordinating group to combat trafficking had begun its work, and could make a contribution to drawing up that document.
He noted that there was full support for the idea of a global action plan on the part of United Nations specialized agencies. Belarus said the plan of action should harmonize national legislation and institutional mechanisms, which should begin through the ratification of international documents on trafficking. Member States should also strive to provide one another with technical assistance where possible, and to prevent the “supply” of victims of trafficking. The Palermo Protocol was a key instrument in that regard.
He said such a plan of action could strengthen and complement existing international agreements, while paying heed to the need to protect and rehabilitate victims of trafficking. Belarus welcomed the African Union’s decision to begin negotiations to draw up such a plan, and it planned to table a resolution to improve the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons. He called on members of the United Nations to take active part in the drafting of that resolution.
GÜNTER FROMMELT ( Liechtenstein) said his country had implemented a strong set of laws and regulations that effectively responded to the current challenges, specifically in terms of corruption, terrorism and transnational organized crime. Effectively combating organized crime was an ongoing process, not only at the legislative level, but also at the practical working level. Legal improvements and amendments in the field of legal assistance and the criminalization of terrorist financing and money-laundering had recently been submitted to the national parliament. As well, Liechtenstein placed a high priority on international cooperation in the fight against corruption, and it actively supported a number of anti-corruption initiatives. Liechtenstein had also offered considerable support to the activities of UNODC, both financial and technical. The cooperation between his country and the UNODC Global Programme against Terrorism had been particularly useful, and he expressed his Government’s willingness to continue to support the Office’s capacity-building activities in the future.
MOURAD BENMEHIDI ( Algeria) expressed her disappointment over the lack of up-to-date statistics regarding drugs and their consumption throughout the world. Current and concrete statistics on the consumption of all different types of drugs, including cannabis, were necessary to enable States to make their anti-drug strategies more effective. It would be equally interesting to examine and assess the effectiveness of alternative development policies, both on a national level and on a global level. The Commission on Narcotic Drugs could present the results of those assessments to help improve best practices among all Member States.
Turning to the situation in her own country, she said that Algeria was mainly used as a transit space for drugs. Her Government had identified three main avenues of action to respond to the problem of drugs in her country: the prevention and suppression of the use and traffic in drugs; treatment for drug addicts and abusers; and public awareness campaigns aimed at prevention. Her Government had also adopted a series of laws that addressed the links between drug trafficking and other crimes, such as terrorism and money-laundering. While the complex nature of those various crimes made her Government’s efforts more difficult, it did not make it impossible. The Convention on Transnational Organized Crime offered the legal framework for efforts to fight those crimes, and Algeria had recently adopted a number of laws regarding money-laundering, corruption, human trafficking and cybercrime. Overall, her Government’s efforts focused on the prevention of those crimes, the prosecution of perpetrators of those crimes, and assisting the victims of crime. Universal ratification was necessary for the Convention to achieve its full potential and, as such, she warmly welcomed the efforts of UNODC towards achieving that universality.
MASAMBA SITA, Director of the African Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (UNAFRI), said the African Institute’s mission was to promote crime prevention and control among African countries in an effort to foster sustained development through capacity-building, collaboration and the institutional development of criminal justice systems and civil societies. As such, it was an important regional mechanism for Africa in promoting cooperation between Governments and strengthening partnerships with institutions and experts in the region. Three priority areas had been identified for the Institute in its work. The first priority was to support capacity-building among criminal justice personnel in Africa to help realize the rule of law and the effective delivery of criminal justice services. That priority would be achieved through professional and leadership development training activities, conducted in line with United Nations standards in the fields of human rights and the rule of law.
The second priority of the Institute was to provide technical assistance to Member States for their crime prevention and control programmes, he continued. Activities towards that goal would help identify experts in the field, assess the needs of Member States, and disseminate best practices on crime prevention and control. Developing a centre of excellence for crime prevention and sustainable development was the third main priority. The centre would support training, research, policy development and knowledge exchange among African countries and abroad. To establish the centre, the Institute would pursue funding to support related building projects. While seeking that funding, it would support the exchange of students, scholars and community leaders between Member States and conduct a variety of workshops to promote workforce development in key areas, such as data collection and analysis. The Institute had, through previously implemented programmes and projects, proven its ability to achieve tangible results. As such, he called on the Committee to continue to support the Institute’s efforts and make every possible effort to ensure that Member States met their obligations to the Institute.
LUCA DALL’OGLIO, from the observer mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), addressing the issue of human trafficking, noted that cooperative arrangements to combat that phenomenon were most effective when they were designed with a country’s technical and resource capacities in mind. The IOM stood ready to support global level initiatives of various kinds, and had three major areas of expertise: victim protection; providing technical support; and fostering international dialogue. The Organization supported the idea of a global inter-agency group for information-sharing, and believed in the value of a global action plan to counter trafficking.
However, he noted that trafficking in persons was not a stand-alone phenomenon, and could not be separated from the broader context of migration. Finding the right balance between facilitating and controlling migration was key, and the IOM collaborated regularly with Governments to: establish modern border management systems; improve the integrity of travel documents; and advance identity management. The IOM was also working to strengthen the legal and regulatory framework in the migration sector. In support of the Palermo Protocol, technical assistance to Governments was increasingly focused on improving law enforcement capacities in the migration sector. It had issued a passport examination procedure manual in six languages.
RAYMOND O. WOLFE (Jamaica), speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community, welcomed the broadening of the scope of technical assistance provided to prevent terrorism, but expressed his concern that the deployment of those resources should not come at the expense of other critical areas, such as equipping and strengthening the institutional capacity of law enforcement mechanisms for crime control. Drugs and crime remained priority concerns for the Caribbean region and the international community at large. As such, the global community must employ a coordinated, multilateral and multidimensional approach, premised on the notion that countering the international drug trade was a shared responsibility. The role of the multilateral system and the United Nations, therefore, remained critical, and he conveyed the Caribbean Community’s extreme dismay over the closure of the UNODC regional office in Barbados. The closure left a vacuum in the region’s crime prevention and drug control support structure. Such a step did not make the region safer from the real problems of drug trafficking and the international drug trade.
Escalating acts of crime and violence put into question the feasibility of the concept of a just and peaceful world, he said. Though CARICOM countries were not large-scale arms producers, importers or exporters, the region still found itself afflicted by the scourge of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. The intricate and clear link between the illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and related transnational organized crime was well established, and any approach to tackle those threats needed to be multidimensional and to take place at national, regional and international levels.
Another pressing concern to CARICOM was the massive relocation of criminal offenders from developed to developing societies, he said. There, too, the problems of security knew no borders and required concerted international cooperation and action. Regionally, a number of cross-cutting initiatives had been implemented to address security concerns within the framework of the Caribbean Regional Centre and the Implementing Agency for Crime and Security. Regional efforts had also been directed towards combating human trafficking. However, the most effective means of tackling the problem, like all of the problems under discussion, was through continued cooperation at national, regional and international levels through multilateral and bilateral efforts.
SANSANEE SAHUSSARUNGSI ( Thailand) said her country had worked continuously to strengthen her country’s legal framework to combat drugs and crime. It was also committed to combating violence against women, and would host an intergovernmental expert group meeting to review and update the United Nations’ model strategies to eliminate violence against women. The country was also working to ensure that victims were not considered or treated as criminals, and to foster a sense of shared responsibility for rehabilitating victims and facilitating their integration into society. Thailand’s royalty were ardent advocates for the promotion of human rights among prisoners, and the treatment of female prisoners was viewed to be of great importance. The Government had organized side events at a recent meeting of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and the Human Rights Council touching on that subject.
On the drug trade, she said the Government had launched a campaign in April to raise awareness on the social pitfalls of narcotic drugs. It had signed memorandums of understanding with neighbouring countries to achieve an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Drug-Free Area by 2015, in cooperation with the China Cooperative Operations in Response to Dangerous Drugs. She expressed her appreciation to Member States for having adopted by consensus in July an Economic and Social Council resolution on “alternative development as an important part of drug control strategy in States where illicit crops are grown to produce drugs”. With the proliferation of amphetamine-type stimulants starting to become a problem, she called for cooperation to impose stricter control on chemical precursors used to produce such drugs, which might require joint border controls.
ILYA ROGACHEV (Russian Federation), aligning himself with the statements made on behalf of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Collective Security Treaty Organization, said that the role of the United Nations in the fight against transnational crime should be further strengthened. In particular, the United Nations should lead the creation of a single anti-crime strategy to identify clear priorities for the international community
Published on: 2008-10-10
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