Thank you, Mr President.
And thank you for organizing this very important and timely meeting.
Mr President,
Italy has always attached the greatest importance to international cooperation in the fight against transnational organized crime, and this year is no different. We strongly support the omnibus crime resolution, which reaffirms the centrality of the United Nations Programme on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, including its capacity for technical cooperation. The Third Committee adopted the resolution by consensus, and it was co-sponsored by 85 States.
The resolution builds on last year’s text and takes stock of new developments in the field of multilateral cooperation, including those related to the substantial results achieved by the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Vienna and, in particular, the five resolutions that will be adopted by the General Assembly within a few days. We also welcome the fact that the text of the resolution includes new language that strengthens the role of youth crime prevention policies, the protection of the environment, and the importance of effectively combating the scourge of sexual exploitation and abuse of children. These should be considered the new frontier in the fight against such crimes.
We are also pleased that the text under consideration strengthens the role of UNODC in the implementation of its mandate under the resolution on important issues such as access to legal aid, anti-corruption measures, crime prevention and technical assistance policies related to youth and counter-terrorism.
Mr President,
With regard to the questions raised in the concept note, Italy would like to stress the importance of police and judicial cooperation.
It is crystal clear that organized crime always has a transnational dimension and that an effective fight against it should hinge on two elements:
– First, Legal instruments that streamline cooperation and guarantee the admissibility in national proceedings of evidence gathered abroad.
– Second, The creation of specialized units capable of using state-of-the-art instruments to detect and investigate organized criminal groups.
In this context, I would like to emphasize the importance of joint investigation teams, whose support is crucial when parallel proceedings relating to the same crime are ongoing. The legal basis for this instrument is Art. 19 of the Palermo Convention. At the regional level, however, other binding agreements provide for the potential set-up of joint investigation teams as well.
Finally, allow me to mention that we are celebrating an anniversary these days: the Palermo Convention entered into force twenty years ago and is still considered the most effective international legal tool in combating organized crime. We need to continue to work for its full implementation, as well as the full and effective implementation of its Protocols, especially those concerning the trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants. We believe that further ratifications and accessions to these Protocols should be encouraged and supported, as these heinous crimes require an ever-increasing international response and crackdown.
Thank you
