Vienna Chapter
Mr. President,
Permit me to express on behalf of the Group of 77 and China my warm
congratulations to you on your election as well as to other members of the
Bureau to direct the proceedings of this First Conference of the Parties
to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.
The Group wishes to pay tribute to the Chairman Ambassador Luigi Lauriola
and the members of the Bureau of the Ad-Hoc Committee, of Italy that
elaborated the TOC. I wish to assure you of the Group's support in the
task ahead as the Group has a lot at stake in assuring its success.
First, the Group reiterates the importance of the entry into force of
the TOC and two of its protocols. It is remarkable that in less than 4
years after the TOC and its protocols were opened for signature, the first
session of the COP is taking place. It is even remarkable that the
Convention has gathered the largest number of signatories, within any
existing UN Convention. As of today, there are 79 parties to the TOC
Convention. The G-77 and China welcomes the State of Bahrain as a
Signatory of the Convention.
The Convention and its three protocols represent a major step forward
in the fight against transnational organized crime and signifies the
efforts of Member States to promote cooperation and combat transnational
organized crime more effectively through close and dynamic international
cooperation including the adoption of concrete measures within frameworks
for mutual legal assistance, extradition, law- enforcement, technical
assistance and training.
This important inaugural session has before it, agenda items and
issues that will constitute the platform of the work of the COP and its
universality to which the Group attaches great importance. The Group
wishes to make the following remarks.
Mr. President,
As the COP embarks upon the activities envisaged under the Convention
and its protocols, the Group wishes to recall the commitments undertaken
during the negotiations of the Convention and its protocols, to provide
technical assistance to the developing countries for the implementation of
the Convention and its protocols. We expect the Member States especially
the development partners to fulfill their commitments.
On the mechanisms to review periodically the implementation of the
Convention and its Protocols in force, the G-77 and China believes that
such mechanisms must be linked to technical assistance projects aimed at
better implementation of the Convention by State parties. The process
leading to the adoption of these mechanisms must be open to all Member
States in a view to encourage the ratification and assure the universal
character of the convention. Any reviewing process should aim at
improving the implementation of technical assistance projects. In this
context, the follow-up evaluation of the technical assistance projects
would in effect be the review of the implementation of the Convention.
On Mechanisms to facilitate activities by State parties under
articles 29-31 of the Convention, including by encouraging the
mobilization of voluntary contributions, the Group wishes to recall the
experiences of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the Commission on
Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and stresses the need to be cautious
in the management of financial resources, while at the same, not
jeopardizing the work of the COP. The Group, therefore, proposes the
setting up of an "open - ended working group" to elaborate on
the financing of the activities of the COP.
Regarding mechanisms for facilitating exchange of information among
parties, the G-77 and China believes that the mechanisms for achieving
this objective should be situated within the Secretariat, whereby
information on successful best practices on patterns and trends on
transnational organized crime for combating it will be disseminated or
made available.
As regards mechanisms to cooperate with international and regional
organizations the G-77 and China is of the view that such cooperation
should be within the framework of the Convention and the Rules of
Procedure. As for the NGOs the Group believes that adequate provisions
have already been made in the convention and the Rules of Procedures.
Mr. President,
The COP must clearly define its relationship and streamline its work
with the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. There is a
need for a clear articulation so as to avoid duplication and ensure proper
synthesis.
I thank you.
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