Summary: May 22, 2003: Intervention by Greece on behalf of the European Union Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, 12th session (13-22, May 2003) (Vienna)
Agenda Item 4: Work of the Centre for International Crime Prevention
1. Thank you Mr. Chairman. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The acceding countries Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia, and the associated countries Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, associate themselves with this statement.
2. The Centre for International Crime Prevention has a significant and commendable role to play in the field of crime prevention, as well as in promoting international cooperation and in providing technical assistance to Member States in this regard. The EU notes the Centre's activities in the area of data collection, analysis and dissemination of information, as well as in publications, such as the Forum on Crime and Society and the forthcoming Global Trends Report on organized crime and
public sector corruption.
3. The European Union appreciates the hard work undertaken by the Centre towards the ratification and speedy entry into force of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols thereto and in particular the elaboration of legislative guides to that end. Worth highlighting also is the work done by the Centre with regard to the negotiation of a new international legal instrument to fight corruption. With the finalization of the convention against corruption, the Centre
will have contributed considerably towards providing the international community with a series of comprehensive and effective legal instruments, which constitute a sound framework for international cooperation in the fight against diverse manifestations of crime.
4. Mr. Chairman, technical cooperation is one of the most significant tasks of the Centre. We are pleased to see the increasing scope of technical assistance activities undertaken by the Centre during the period under review, including, inter alia, the launching of the Global Programme against Terrorism and the preparatory work for a large criminal justice reform programme in Afghanistan. The EU expresses also its appreciation and support for the work delivered under the other Global
Programmes, those against corruption, trafficking in human beings, organized crime, as well as crime prevention and criminal justice reform.
5. The EU has welcomed the new operational priorities of the Office on Drugs and Crime, which encompass an integrated approach to drugs and crime, from the operational point of view, placing both issues in the context of sustainable development and balancing prevention and enforcement activities. In light of this approach, further synergies between CICP and UNDCP should be pursued and strengthened. We are looking forward to more information with regard to the structure, post allocations and
functions under each pillar of the Organigram of ODC. Also, we encourage CICP to continue and extend its efforts towards providing Member States with detailed and timely information about the development of its projects and the expenditures dedicated to the different programmes.
6. Mr. Chairman, while noting the constant upward trend in contributions to the Centre, and bearing in mind the need for balance between prevention and enforcement activities, we believe that the Centre's activities should focus on those areas where it has a comparative advantage. Its work should therefore be prioritized with a view to achieving the best results possible, taking into account realistic funding perspectives and the fact that current funding is highly dependent on earmarked
contributions. In this context, the European Union welcomes with satisfaction the recent transfer of the authority to manage the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Fund from New York to Vienna. We see this as an opportunity to further increase the efficiency of the Centre's activities, to achieve cost-effectiveness and to benefit operations.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
| Top |
European Union Member States
Alerts by email
Email this page
Print this page