United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

East Asia and Pacific

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		Project Code and Sector Situation Analysis - "The Why" Project description - "The What" Project implementation - "The How"

Partnership Against Transnational-crime through Regional Organized Law-enforcement (PATROL)

1. Project Code and Sector

2. Situation Analysis - "The Why"

Export-driven growth in combination with inter-regional competition will result in medium- to long-term reductions in transportation cost. Anticipated increases in traffic flows in the coming decade will force countries to improve the efficiency of their infrastructure and reduce the transaction costs of lengthy border inspections. This will further increase cross-border trade. Major regional infrastructure and development projects will concentrate resources along key zones of movement - the so called "development corridors". While these trends are positive in principle, and will lower costs to consumers, they also portend increased opportunities for organized criminal groups to traffic illicit goods and smuggle people across borders.

Trafficking in People. Despite many recent efforts in the development of legislation, the building of institutional capacity, the protection of victims and awareness-raising within vulnerable groups, human trafficking - both from and within the region - continues.

Drugs. While the traditional opiate drug problem remains serious in the region the problem of illicit manufacture, trafficking in and abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) has become grave in recent years. Illicit ATS manufacture can take place virtually anywhere where there is easy access to precursor chemicals. The infrastructure corridors and the trade facilitation pilot sites now being developed will link known ATS production countries with major ATS markets in the Greater Mekong Subregion. This will arguably increase the volume of illicit trafficking and thus strain limited police and customs resources.

Environmental crimes. Crimes like illegal logging, the trafficking in forest products, wildlife and biological resources are a major problem in the region. Much of this illicit commerce is facilitated by porous borders. Environmental crime laws are usually weakly enforced, have low penalties and are not well known among enforcement officers. Fighting environmental crimes is a clear responsibility of national governments and international organizations in their pursuit towards human security.

Smuggling of Migrants. Migration has long shaped the nature of societies in East and South-East Asia. It is predicted that there will be an increase in legal labour migration during the next few years, especially within ASEAN countries, as the region moves towards economic integration within the next decade. Experience has shown that single-country actions (rather than coordinated regional responses) effect migrant smuggling routes but not the underlying criminal activities. Similarly, border interactions that are not coordinated with centralised authorities may lead to increased interception of irregular migrants but are unlikely to dismantle smuggling networks. Crimes that cross national boundaries cannot be addressed by individual countries working alone. They require international cross-border cooperation.

3. Project description - "The What"

Objectives
To reduce illicit trafficking of people, drugs, illicit natural resources and hazardous substances through enhanced cross-border cooperation in the fight against Transnational Organised Crime

Outcome 1: Border Liaison Offices (BLOs) operations strengthened and expanded
Output 1.1: Agreements in place regarding expanded mandate of BLOs to address additional crimes
Output 1.2 Additional BLOs identified for expansion of the programme
Output 1.3: BLO's physical infrastructure and equipment needs strengthened, and operational systems enhanced
Output 1.4: Border Community Committees (BCC) established comprising community leaders and local NGOs
Output 1.5: Feasibility of maritime BLO's assessed (Joint Port Control Units)

Outcome 2: Legislative and policy frameworks meet international obligations and standards
Output 2.1: Profile of key 'gaps' in national laws and other legal instruments relevant to illicit trafficking and TOC prepared in collaboration with partner agencies
Output 2.2: Specific recommendation on legislative and policy amendments prepared and socialised with partners

Outcome 3: Enhanced mechanisms to promote cooperation between criminal justice agencies within and between borders
Output 3.1: MOU on international cooperation with respect to TOC (including SOM, TIP and environmental crimes) brokered between governments
Output 3.2: MOU's on national level cooperation brokered between government agencies to address SOM, TIP and environmental crimes
Output 3.3. Mechanisms established for jointly conducted operations, investigations and prosecutions, including provision of legal assistance and support services to trafficking victims

Outcome 4: Strategic and operational information on illicit trafficking produced, shared and used by stakeholders to inform evidence based responses
Output 4.1: Strategic information produced and disseminated on trafficking of drugs, people, illicit natural resources and hazardous substances, and smuggling of migrants
Output 4.2: High quality operational information produced and disseminated to front-line officers and community stakeholders
Output 4.3: Public awareness materials produced and disseminated on TOC for border crossings, ports, airports and other relevant locations

Outcome 5: Informed and capable front-line law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges and other specialised officials
Output 5.1: Training needs assessments conducted
Output 5.2 Training programs developed, including CBT
Output 5.3: Training programs delivered, monitored and evaluated

4. Project implementation - "The How"

The implementation of the PATROL Programme will be directed and supervised by the Project Coordinator.

A Programme Steering Committee (PSC) comprised of senior government officials (National Project Coordinators) and representatives from UNODC, UNEP, TRAFFIC and Freeland Foundation will meet at least annually and will provide a forum for the overall guidance and supervision of the programme. Partner donors will also be invited to participate in this forum. The progress of the project will be reviewed and decisions will be addressed and resolved concerning any issues that may have arisen during the year and that have not been settled at a local level.

UNODC and its partners will liaise closely with participating governments, country offices, other UN agencies, International Non Governmental Organisations (I-NGO), local NGOs and BLOs. Each partner will also coordinate its activities with respective Units at Headquarters.

The Programme will be implemented and executed by UNODC through the Regional Centre for East Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, in close cooperation with UNEP, TRAFFIC and Freeland Foundation.