Fifty Eighth Session Of The General Assembly
Opening Statement To The Third Committee
Antonio Maria Costa
Executive Director
9 October 2003
Item 110: Crime Prevention And Criminal Justice
Item 111: International Drug Control
Mr. Chairman,
Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are meeting at a particularly important juncture. This may sound a bit trite, as it was said on so many occasions earlier. Yet, there is no doubt that the rapid changes in international affairs challenge our conventional wisdom every day. We often find ourselves facing threats of un-civil behaviour threats that, until recently, we thought would never emerge. The internationalization of such behaviour is a painful reminder of the need for all of us to be constantly on the alert and find ways to be equally effective and agile in both prevention and control.
Mr. Chairman,
In these opening remarks, I would like to review with you how we, at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, see
(i) the evolution of the crime and drug situation over the last few years;
(ii) how policies have adapted; (iii) the challenges ahead; and
(iv) the contribution my Office can make to Member States efforts in addressing these challenges.
In recent years, new forms of criminal behaviour have emerged, while traditional ones have changed in depth and scope.
Organized crime has expanded, not only as a transnational phenomenon, but also in new areas such as trafficking in human beings, that provoke untold suffering to vulnerable segments of society. Modern technology enables criminals to launder money, commit large-scale fraud, attack computer systems or disseminate paedophile material. Large scale deadly attacks on innocent people has become so frequent that a new chapter a very sad one has been opened in our history. I do not only have in mind the events of 11 September 2001, as we have witnessed terrible tragedies elsewhere. Nobody has been spared: not even the United Nations which in August suffered the tragic loss of colleagues in Baghdad. These forms of crime have caused increased fear to people around the world, hampering their quest for social and economic development.
These concerns are global. Yet, as usual, some societies are worse off than others. For example, we face the risk of a very real and deepening criminal divide. By this, I mean the disparity between developed and developing nations, which can be demonstrated not only in respect of conventional types of crime as recorded in police data and victimization surveys but also in measures of unconventional crime. UNODC has recently developed a composite index of organized crime, combining data on over ten factors (perceptions of organized crime and high level corruption by business leaders, the extent of the grey economy, the degree of arms and tobacco smuggling, levels of human trafficking, car theft and money laundering, etc.). Data have now been collected for over 100 countries.
Some interesting conclusions can be drawn:
Our research suggests the existence of a clear link between the failure of some countries to achieve sustainable development and the growth of organized crime. World Bank studies on the comparative causes of violent crime show a strong correlation between incidents of such crime and high levels of inequality.
The consequences of organized crime and corruption are especially felt in many developing countries, while some of the benefits are accruing elsewhere. In this age of globalization, the main markets for trafficked human beings or for illicit drugs are in the industrialized world. Criminal profits are frequently invested there where they get the best returns and where they are best protected -- namely in the worlds main financial centres. There is also evidence that the corporate sector frequently exploits institutional weaknesses, for example by bribing public officials.
On the illicit drug front, my Office undertook earlier this year a quinquennial review of the progress made in achieving the goals set in 1998 by the General Assembly. The review revealed encouraging progress with some not-so-good news:
In order to face the evolving crime and drug situation, policies have been adjusted. Let me highlight the key policy areas:
Mr. Chairman,
No one today can deny the significance of the challenges ahead. What the Secretary-General has described as the soft threats to nations whether poverty, man-made or natural disasters, HIV/AIDS or some of the issues UNODC is dealing with -- they all contribute to human suffering, interfere with conflict resolution and peacekeeping and are obstacles to development, the effective rule of law and respect for basic human rights.
The existing body of normative work on drugs, organized crime, terrorism and soon corruption -- must be accompanied by concrete actions, backed by commitment, expertise and resources.
Over the years, the Office on Drugs and Crime has accumulated a body of knowledge, expertise and some well-established field results and best practices.
Last year I shared with you a plan of action to enhance UNODC governance and establish clear priorities, both of which we needed to build credibility, attract funding, and to give the Office the means to be a catalyst of action for governments in countering uncivil society. At the heart of this exercise was a definition of new Operational Priorities for the Medium Term for the office, with special emphasis on the need to:
In the first half of this year, the Office was reorganized in line with these priorities. Efforts were put in place to deliver better quality programmes and improve value for money. This is reflected by the presentation for the first time of a consolidated budget for the next biennium, integrating drugs, crime and terrorism and resource requirements into a single operational context. The budget for 2004-05 is preceded by an in-depth review of the Offices performance in 2002-03.
Other management improvements have been introduced such as the secretariat-wide staffing selection system put in place in May 2002; the establishment of a local ombudsperson function; the enhancement of geographical distribution and gender balance of the staff, regular consultations with stakeholders and staff, transparency and openness in decision-making, greater accountability with the Programme and Financial Information Management System (PROFI) available online to Member States and the establishment of an independent evaluation function.
Parallel to our strong normative work, the Office has significantly strengthened the delivery of quality research and analysis on crime and drugs as well as its operations in the field. Programmes of a global nature in legislative assistance, transnational organized crime, human trafficking, corruption, terrorism and money laundering are carried by small teams of experts and mentors in priority areas. On this occasion, I would like to thank the countries which have made voluntary contributions to each of these programmes.
Growth in technical assistance delivery, although uneven, has been registered in all regions over the last two years, with Africa posting a 60% increase in volume terms. The UNODC programme budget for the next biennium projects a significant share of our work in the areas of HIV/AIDS, demand reduction and alternative development. Overall, our base scenario for the next two years foresees a modest increase in activities supported by the regular budget and a stable level of voluntary funding.
Mr. Chairman,
The relevance of UNODC in future years will be measured by its capacity to meet the demands of Member States for:
Given the modest size of our resources, the achievement of more substantive results will also be contingent on UNODCs capacity to build strategic partnership with others. We are now, for instance, heavily engaged in the development of a joint programme with the World Bank, targeting a dozen countries where drugs and crime issues can figure prominently in the Banks activities in rural development, justice reform, good governance or health and education.
The power of partnership, particularly with aid and financial institutions and civil society organizations, will be the key to the success of our operations. We have now put in place a number of clearly result-oriented policy and technical activities; let me illustrate these with a few examples:
Mr. Chairman,
The Millennium Declaration made achieving sustainable development a goal of the United Nations. This goal commands that the resources of the planet earth are fairly and efficiently shared so as to promote human dignity everywhere in the world. It also commands that we live in an environment of human security, including a life free from fear of uncivil behaviour.
Facing the real world with major terrorist attacks, violence and crime, abuse and addiction requires vision, political determination and resources.
For its part, the Office on Drugs and Crime will strive to work in a most effective way. The tasks ahead are big, the resources are small, the mandate firm. Above all, my staff both at HQs. and in the field are fully dedicated.
I count on Member States to reflect on this final consideration.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman