Director General/Executive Director
5 July 2016
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
My warm thanks to the OSCE and to the Group of Friends, in particular co-chair Slovakia, for hosting this very welcome event to discuss the important issue of security sector reform and transnational organized crime.
Transnational organized crime, alongside the threats of drugs, terrorism and corruption that we at UNODC address as part of our mandate, presents profound challenges to security and stability, including the OSCE region.
In this regard, I would like to commend the OSCE for its recently published Guidelines on Security Sector Governance and Reform.
UNODC, for its part, recently launched the Integrated Guidance Note on Security Sector Reform and Transnational Organized Crime.
The Guidance Note was developed by the UN Inter-Agency SSR Task Force with DPKO, other partners and independent experts, under UNODC's leadership.
It aims to support practitioners in mainstreaming measures to counter transnational organized crime in security sector reform, and building institutions that strengthen security governance, the rule of law and human rights.
It can also serve to help link SSR work to efforts to realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly the targets under Goal 16, which calls for peaceful and safe societies.
The Guidance Note is part of UNODC's broader work to support Member States in building the capacity of their criminal justice systems, including the police, to operate more effectively within the framework of the rule of law, while also promoting human rights and protecting vulnerable groups.
This includes projects in the field through our country, regional and global programmes, carried out with our UN and other partners, including civil society.
It also includes technical assistance to support effective implementation of the Conventions on drugs, corruption and transnational organized crime, the protocols on human trafficking, smuggling of migrants and arms, as well as the international instruments against terrorism and the UN standards and norms on crime prevention and criminal justice.
The OSCE remains an important regional partner for UNODC, and our Offices have long enjoyed strong cooperation in areas across our respective mandates.
Our complementary efforts to support countries in mainstreaming measures to counter transnational organized crime in SSR represent a key area for deepening our cooperation under the UNODC-OSCE joint action plan.
I welcome further collective action that can help to sensitize practitioners and support implementation of the Guidance Note and the OSCE guidelines.
It is important to emphasize that these efforts should not be limited to peace-building contexts, particularly in view of the increased challenges to security all countries face.
In this regard, UNODC's broad mandate and the OSCE's multi-dimensional approach to security are both highly relevant.
We at UNODC look forward to continuing and strengthening our work efforts with you.
The forthcoming conference of the parties to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in October is a an opportunity to further promote regional and international cooperation on interlinked issues of security sector reform, transnational organized crime and terrorism, as well as support sustainable development action.
You can count on UNODC's support in all these endeavours.
My thanks once again to the Group of Friends.
Thank you.