REMARKS BY THE DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF ITALY, AMBASSADOR INIGO LAMBERTINI, AT THE INTRODUCTION OF THE DRAFT RESOLUTION A/C.3/70/L.8 “STRENGTHENING THE UNITED NATIONS CRIME PREVENTION AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAM, IN PARTICULAR, ITS TECHNICAL COOPERATION CAPACITY” – (October 30, 2015)

Mr. Chairman,

It is Italy’s honor once again this year to introduce, on behalf of the co-sponsors, the draft resolution, “Strengthening the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Program, in particular, its Technical Cooperation Capacity” (document A/C.3/70/L.8).

Last year the resolution was widely co-sponsored by Member States and we are confident that other Member States will join us from the floor and through the electronic procedure the Committee is providing for the first time.

Mr. Chairman,

There are few issues on the UN agenda as global as the fight against transnational organized crime.
Moving on from the milestone represented by the Palermo Convention adopted 15 years ago, we need a coordinated, effective and global response to this scourge, which no State can hope to defeat on its own.

Mr. Chairman,

As in the past, the three main purposes of the resolution are:

First,  to build consensus on and highlight the fight against transnational organized crime in the broader framework of the United Nations’ policies and actions.

Second, to promote the universality and implementation of all pertinent United Nations instruments,

Third, to confirm the membership’s support for the technical assistance activities of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in this field.

Mr. Chairman,

Based on the large and strong consensus of the past years, the resolution we are introducing intends to overhaul and streamline the previous text, to introduce clear and implementable languages, paying close attention to the many important events and phenomena of the last 12 months. In particular:

• The approval of General Assembly res.70/1 and the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development;

• The approval of the Doha Declaration as the final document of the XIII UN Congress on crime prevention and criminal justice;

• the growing attention of the UN System to new phenomena associated with international terrorism. Let me cite, for example, Security Council resolutions 2195 (2014) and 2199 (2015);

• the debate in New York on countering trafficking and the illegal consumption of drugs in the run up to the UNGASS to be held in April 2016;

• the approval of the common platform on detained persons, known as the “Mandela Rules,”

• the General Assembly’s approval in 2015 of a major resolution on sensitive and particularly topical issues, such as the protection of the artistic and cultural heritage of Iraq and the protection of wildlife,

• finally, the heinous and unacceptable criminal activities related to the different forms of migration.

Let me conclude, Mr. Chairman, by reiterating that, as in the past, we are counting on the broadest support of Member States.