Eleventh UN crime congress concludes with adoption of Bangkok declaration calling for action against organized crime, terrorism
Other Matters Addressed Include Human Trafficking, Money-Laundering, Corruption, Cybercrime, Restorative Justice
BANGKOK: Greatly concerned by the expansion and dimensions of transnational organized crime, terrorism and any existing links between them and by the increasing sophistication and diversification of the activities of organized criminal groups, the Eleventh United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Monday unanimously adopted the “Bangkok Declaration”, addressing those matters, as well as issues such as trafficking in human beings, money-laundering, corruption, “cybercrime”, restorative justice, and the root causes of crime (document A/CONF.203/L.5).
According to that Declaration, entitled “Synergies and Responses: Strategic Alliances in Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice”, Member States reaffirmed their readiness to seek to improve international cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism at the multilateral, regional and bilateral levels, in areas including extradition and mutual legal assistance.
They also sought to ensure national capacity to engage in international cooperation, in particular in the prevention, investigation, prosecution and adjudication of transnational organized crime and terrorism and in discovering any existing links between them.
The Congress called on all States that had not yet done so to ratify and implement the provisions of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its three Protocols and the UN Convention against Corruption.
It further called upon donor States and financial institutions to continue to make adequate voluntary contributions for the provision of technical assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition in order to help them build capacity to prevent and tackle crime, to apply the UN standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice and implement the aforementioned conventions and the international drug control conventions.
Recognizing that comprehensive and effective crime prevention strategies could significantly reduce crime and victimization, the Declaration urged that such strategies address the root causes and risk factors of crime and victimization.
UN Member States pledged to strengthen international cooperation in order to create an environment conducive to the fight against crime, including by promoting growth and sustainable development and eradicating poverty and unemployment.
Noting that countries emerging from conflict were particularly vulnerable to organized crime and corruption, the Congress, in its Declaration, recommended that Member States, regional organizations and international entities such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in coordination with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, provide more effective responses to those problems, in order to re-establish, strengthen or sustain the rule of law and deliver justice.
The Declaration called on all States that had not yet done so to become parties to and implement the universal instruments against terrorism.
It expressed support for the efforts of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime to assist States, in coordination with the Security Councils Counter-Terrorism Committee, to support States to become party to and implement those instruments and to comply with relevant Security Council resolutions against terrorism.
It expressed the hope that the ongoing negotiation of a draft comprehensive convention on international terrorism would be concluded as soon as possible and recognized that arriving at a possible definition of terrorism was one of the key issues to be resolved.
Regarding corruption, the Congress, in its Declaration, called on all States that had not yet done so to ratify the UN Convention against Corruption. In order to curb corruption, it recognized the need to promote a culture of integrity and accountability in both the public and the private sector. It also emphasized the need to adopt measures to facilitate asset recovery, consistent with the principles of that Convention.
The Congress recommended that the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice give consideration to reviewing the adequacy of standards and norms in relation to prison management and prisoners.
To promote the interests of victims and the rehabilitation of offenders, it recognized the importance of further developing restorative justice policies, including alternatives to prosecution. Member States participating in the Congress affirmed their determination to pay particular attention to juvenile justice, considering ways to ensure the provision of services to children who were victims of crime and children in conflict with the law.
The Declaration further addressed matters such as the theft and trafficking in cultural property and illicit trafficking in protected species of wild flora and fauna. It noted with concern the rise of kidnapping and trafficking in persons, often committed with the objective of funding criminal organizations and terrorist activities.
Apart from measures to combat those crimes, there was also a need for measures to provide adequate assistance and protection to their victims and their families. It also noted the concerns raised regarding the illicit removal of and trafficking in human organs.
The Declaration reaffirmed the fundamental importance of implementation of existing instruments and the further development of national measures and international cooperation in criminal matters, in issues such as cybercrime, money-laundering, trafficking in cultural property, extradition, mutual legal assistance and the confiscation, recovery and return of the proceeds of crime.
Regarding computer-related crime, the Congress invited the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to examining the feasibility of providing further assistance in that area. It also sought to improve international cooperation to combat document and identity fraud in order to curb organized crime and terrorism.
Recognizing the importance of protecting witnesses and victims of crime and terrorism, Member States in the Declaration committed themselves to strengthening the legal and financial framework for providing support to such victims.
The Congress encouraged measures to strengthen the role of individuals and groups outside the public sector, such as non-governmental organizations in contributing to the prevention of and the fight against crime and terrorism.
The Congress reaffirmed continued support for and commitment to the United nations and to its Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme, especially the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institutes and the institutes of the Programme network.
Congress Highlights
The Eleventh Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, which took place from 18 to 25 April, under the theme “Synergies and responses: strategic alliances in crime prevention and criminal justice”, addressed such issues as:
– effective measures to combat transnational organized crime;
– international cooperation against terrorism and links between terrorism and other criminal activities;
– corruption;
– economic and financial crimes; and
– making standards work: fifty years of standard-setting in crime prevention and criminal justice.
During discussions in Plenary and Committee meetings, emphasis was placed on the need for international cooperation in order to combat the new forms of transnational crime and terrorism (“Cooperation, cooperation, cooperation,” as one delegate put it) and the need for implementation of existing conventions and other international instruments in the area of crime prevention and terrorism (“Implementation, implementation, implementation”, said another delegate).
The need for technical assistance to countries that needed it to assist them in implementing conventions was particularly underlined.
There were 2.370 participants in the Congress, including many Ministers of Justice and other high-level officials, as well as representatives from 167 non-governmental organizations and 1.135 individual expert observers.
During the Congress Treaty Event, 16 treaty actions were undertaken.
Zambia delivered four instruments and became the fortieth Party to the third Protocol of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, namely the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition. That Protocol would now enter into force 90 days from the date of deposit of ratification instruments.
Lena Claesson, Public Information Assistant, Regional United Nations Information Centre For Western Europe, Residence Palace, Rue de la Loi 155, 1040 Bruxelles, E-mail: [email protected] web: www.runiceurope.org
