POLITICS: Crime and Terrorism Interlinked, Says U.N.

POLITICS: Crime and Terrorism Interlinked, Says U.N.
By Marwaan Macan-Markar

BANGKOK, Apr 18 (IPS) - A major U.N. conference began here Monday urging the international community to tighten the noose around organised crime syndicates and terrorism networks by combatting them together.

''By fighting one evil, we fight the other as well,'' Antonio Maria Costa, director-general of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), said during the opening session of the conference.

''Since these uncivil behaviours are conspiratorial in nature, I propose we equally conspire - namely, we act together - in opposing them,'' he added.

At the same time, Costa also called for more commitment to take on the scourges of corruption and human trafficking by strengthening the criminal justice systems in countries.

Countries need ''proper legislation, honest courts, skilled and aggressive prosecutors and adequate detention facilities'' to fight crime or oppose corruption, he said. ''Whether we fight crime, or oppose corruption, or struggle against trafficking of people or protect innocent civilians against deadly terrorist attacks, one particular goal stands out: the need to strengthen criminal justice systems the world over.''

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan promised countries emerging from conflicts that the global body would help to restore a strong legal culture. It would be achieved through a soon to be established ''Rule of Law Assistance Unit.''

''(The unit) will help national efforts to re-establish the rule of law in societies emerging from instability and war,'' said Annan in a speech that was read out during the opening session.

These themes, along with economic and financial crimes, will be addressed during the 11th U.N. Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, which runs from Apr. 18-25.

''The conference does pressure governments to consider cooperation as an important way to deal with, say, organised crime,'' Daniel Van Ness, of the non-governmental Prison Fellowship International, a Washington D.C. based group, told IPS.

Yet those lobbying for stronger measures to fight crime and terrorism have to contend with the push for human rights concerns and victims rights, he added. ''These two patterns always emerge at a conference like this.''

This U.N. gathering, which is being attended by an estimated 3,000 people from 114 countries, marks 50 years since the world body had its first congress on issues related to international crime in 1955, in Geneva.

The themes of the congresses held every five years since then reflect the shifts in fighting crime over the past half a century. From an initial concern over the way prisoners are treated globally, which was the theme during the first congress in Geneva, these gatherings focused on justice for juveniles, the link between criminality and social change and the call to end torture.

It was only at the start of the 1990s that these congresses turned to issues that have become troubling realities at present, namely transnational crime syndicates and terrorism networks.

And following recent developments involving wealthy executives in prominent companies in Europe and the United States, economic and financial crimes have become an issue for the conference to tackle, states a background note. ''These crimes comprise a broad range of illegal activities, including fraud, tax evasion and money-laundering.''

What is more, there are already signs of emerging challenges, such as the trafficking of cultural property, which representatives from the developing world and China want the U.N. congress to address.

''The trafficking of cultural property was mentioned at the opening. These are new problems,'' UNODC's Costa told the press. ''The severity of these (problems) keep changing.''

As serious is cyber crime, Suwat Liptapanlop, Thailand's minister of justice, told reporters. ''Technical instruments used for trading and investment are being abused and used like guns and weapons.''

''We must have some kind of early warning system for cyber crime,'' he asserted.

The choice of Thailand as the venue for this conference appears apt, observed the 'Bangkok Post' in an editorial on Monday. Because ''counterfeit gangs routinely churn out documents for criminals such as human traffickers,'' it said.

That view was amplified by information distributed to conference participants, who state that this South-east Asian country is among those ''facing threats from crimes committed by transnational organisations.''

The range of such crimes include drug and human trafficking, where Thailand is a country that supplies and receives and also is the place through which the victims - women and children - are taken to a third country.

The conference background note also drew attention to the proliferation of other crimes Thai authorities blame transnational criminal networks for, such as smuggling of contraband goods, illegal oil trafficking, illegal logging, arms trade, contract killings, kidnapping, money laundering and bribing of government authorities.

According to Costa, the difficulties Thailand faces is not unique but one that other nations across the world have to contend with. Transnational crime, he added, quoting a study, is ''one of the six major global threats.'' (END/2005)

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