Vienna Chapter
Mr. Chairman,
1. On behalf of the Group 77 and China, let me congratulate you on your election.
I also extend my Group's congratulations to the other Members of the Bureau.
I wish to assure you of the Group's support in the task ahead.
2. Let me also convey our appreciation to the Executive Director, Mr. Antonio
Maria Costa for his introductory statement and to Secretariat for the preparation
of this session and for the documentation made available.
3. The Group of G77 and China whishes to highlight its particular concern over
the illicit trafficking of cultural property, which is damaging the cultural
heritage of our nations, thus, our own identities. The Group reiterates its
view that the Commission has to play a role in formulating a robust crime prevention
and criminal justice response to all aspects of trafficking in cultural property.
We welcome the thematic debate, initially proposed by the Group of 77 and China.
We look forward to concrete and practical outcome in this respect.
4. The Group of G77 and China welcomes the recommendations of the open ended
Intergovernmental Expert Group Meeting on protection against trafficking in
cultural property, held in Vienna on November 2009, as well as the recommendations
of the Twelfth United Nations Crime Congress on the issue and looks forward
to their adoption and effective implementation. The Group urges the CCPCJ to
adopt practical measures to address this issue and in particular to develop
specific guidelines for crime prevention relating to trafficking in cultural
property including, inter alia and as appropriate, the criteria of due diligence.
5. The Group believes that international cooperation, especially for the return
of cultural property to the countries of origin, constitutes a major element
of protection against this increasingly evolving transnational form of crime.
Accordingly, all available tools and options within the legal framework set
by the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime might
be used by the States Parties to effectively address this matter.
6. Furthermore, we urge States Parties to fully implement the relevant treaties
inter alia, The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in
the Event of Armed Conflict of 1954 and its additional protocols.
Mr. Chairman,
7. The Group of 77 and China invites the CCPCJ to consider convening the open-ended
intergovernmental Expert Group to conduct a comprehensive study on the problems
of cyber crime and responses to it as recommended by the Political Declaration
of the 12th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
8. The Group welcomes the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations
Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and expresses with satisfaction
the increasing number of ratifications of the Convention, which testifies the
collective will of Member States to promote cooperation and combat transnational
organized crime. In this regard the Group appreciates the upcoming special treaty
event that will be held in New York to promote ratification of or accession
to the Convention and its protocols. At the same time, the Group looks forward
to the recommendations of the 5th Conference of State Parties of UNTOC to be
held in Vienna in October 2010.
9. In this regard, the Group looks forward to the high level segment discussion
at the upcoming fifth session of the COP TOC on the current and emerging challenges,
new trends and pattern of emerging forms of crime and its outcome. The Groups
wishes to highlight the importance of capacity building, technical assistance
and international cooperation in helping Member States to deal with these challenges.
10. With respect to the United Nations Conventions Against Corruption, the Group
welcomes the recently established Implementation Review Group, especially its
work on technical assistance and welcomes the establishment of the open-ended
intergovernmental working group on preventive measures, as well as the tasks
of the working group on asset recovery and looking forward to its recommendations.
11. The Group emphasizes that one of the main priorities in the fight against
corruption is to ensure the return of illegitimately diverted assets to the
country of origin and urges all States to facilitate the quick return of those
assets.
12. The Group of 77 and China expresses its appreciation to all States that
have signed, ratified or accepted the United Nations Convention against Transnational
Organized Crime and its Protocols, as well as the United Nations Convention
against Corruption.
13. The Group emphasizes the importance of updated information and relevant
data on transnational organized crime trends and patterns provided by Member
States as a basis for comprehensive, objective and transparent assessment, in
order to assist them in the implementation of the pertinent Conventions and
Protocols. In this regard, the Group calls upon all Member States to avoid unilateral
actions that might weaken the multilateral framework.
14. The Group of 77 and China underlines the importance of the implementation
of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. Furthermore,
the Group recalls the importance of international cooperation and technical
assistance for such implementation. In this context, the Group takes note of
ongoing initiatives aimed at exploring options regarding an appropriate and
effective mechanism to assist the Conference of the Parties to UNTOC in the
review of the implementation of the Convention.
15. The Group acknowledges the increasing links between transnational organized
crime and other illicit activities, in particular drug trafficking including
money laundering and in some cases, terrorism and its financing, and reaffirms
the need for enhancing bilateral regional and international cooperation in the
area of exchange of information, extradition and mutual legal assistance, in
accordance with domestic legislation and with the aim to contributing to countering
the threat posed by transnational organized crime.
Mr. Chairman,
16. The Group recalls the importance of the United Nations crime prevention
and criminal justice programme, as one of the main priorities of the UN, in
promoting effective action to strengthen international cooperation in crime
prevention and criminal justice.
17. The Group attaches high importance to the ownership by Member States of
national and regional programmes designed in close consultation with them aimed
at preventing and combating crime and the world drug problem. Furthermore, the
Group stresses the important role of UNODC in fostering regional cooperation
in this field.
18. The Group attaches great importance to the recommendations contained in
the Salvador declaration which was adopted at the 12th United Nations Congress
on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and looks forward to the consideration
and appropriate follow-up by the CCPCJ.
19. The Group emphasizes that the overcrowding of prisons is a global concern
and that urgent measures need to be taken to address it. In this context, the
Group recommends the updating of the UN minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners
and supports restorative justice and alternatives to imprisonment as measure
to address overcrowding in prisons and to achieve the social reintegration of
offenders. The Group recognizes also the importance of prison reform, the independence
of the judiciary and the awareness raising and capacity-building of prosecution
authorities.
20. The Group of 77 and China strongly condemns all forms of violence against
women, including violence against women migrant workers and calls for prevention
prosecution and penalization of such crimes including providing the victims
access to justice and effective remedies for the harm suffered. In this context,
the Group welcomes the submission of the outcome of the Intergovernmental Expert
Group Meeting in Bangkok in March 2009, which finalized the draft Updated Model
Strategies and Practical Measures on the Elimination of Violence against Women
in the field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, for the Commission's
consideration.
21. The Group stresses the importance of the promotion of gender sensitivity
in the treatment of women prisoners and offenders and addressing their specific
needs inter alia through supplementary rules to the Standard Minimum Rule (SMR).
In this context, the Group welcomes the draft United Nations Rules for the Treatment
of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders, which are
a concrete outcome of the open-ended intergovernmental Expert Group Meeting,
held in Bangkok in November 2009, as mandated by the Commission's resolution
18/1. The Group also recalls the recommendations of the 12th United Nations
Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to the Commission to consider
them as a matter of priority for appropriate action.
22. The Group of 77 and China also reiterates its strong concern with the violence
against migrants, migrant workers and their families. The Group encourages States
to respect and protect the human rights of, migrants regardless of their immigration
status. In this regard the Group calls upon States to consider ratifying the
existing relevant international legal instruments, including, inter alia, the
International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrants Workers
and Members of their Families.
23. The Group reiterates the need to continue providing UNODC with the sufficient,
stable and predictable funding from the regular budget to promote, inter alia,
for the implementation of the Convention against Corruption and to ensure full
and effective functioning of the new mechanism for the review of its implementation,
in line with Conference of States Parties resolution 3/1, adopted in Doha in
2009.
24. The Group reiterates the need that the core activities of UNODC, including
its country and regional offices should be funded from the regular budget. While
not discouraging voluntary funding to the UNODC, there should not be a heavy
reliance on the extra-budgetary resources to finance core activities.
25. The Group of 77 and China welcomes the establishment and the continuation
of the Working Group on the financial situation and Governance of the UNODC
and looks forward to its establishment as a permanent consultative body. In
this context the Group seizes this opportunity to express its appreciation to
the Co-Chairs of the Working Group, Ambassador Norma Goycochea Estenoz and Mr.
Ignacio Baylina for their excellent job.
26. Finally, the Group of 77 and China stresses that to successfully combat
all forms of transnational organized crime, an effective international cooperation
is necessary, based on full respect for International Law, the principles of
the UN Charter and the sovereignty of Member States.
I thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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