27-31 August 2018- The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) under the framework of the Implementation Support Section, held its annual meeting of Law Enforcement Advisors from 27 - 31 August in Vienna, Austria. The meeting is an initiative aimed at ensuring efficiency in implementing law enforcement programs and creating a forum of exchange for experts and program managers.
CRIMJUST participated at the meeting with two presentations, underlining the importance of an interregional and multilateral approach to tackle threats related to Organized Crime.
During the opening ceremony, Ms. Loide Ayree, Chief of the Organized Crime and Illicit Trafficking Branch, highlighted the successful cooperation between field offices and programs operated by the UNODC headquarters, as well as the significantly strengthened cooperation with international and regional structures and the continuing focus on developing modern training tools. Furthermore, Mr. Roberto Arbitrio, Chief of the Office of the Executive Director, emphasized the transnational dimension of the presented programs and the need for comprehensive approaches in order to effectively counter organized crime threats.
This year's meeting addressed a comprehensive number of topics related to law enforcement programs. The topics discussed focused on UNODC activities regarding law enforcement cooperation and training initiatives, judicial cooperation, drug trafficking trends, anti-corruption activities, as well as cooperation between International Organizations, border control programs, and intelligence sharing.
The participants included over 60 experts and program officers from UNODC country and regional offices, UNODC headquarters, and partner organizations, including INTERPOL, Europol, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Under the objectives of facilitating the exchange of best practices by experts and program managers, creating a platform for information sharing with different law enforcement agencies and highlighting the work of UNODC field offices, participants delivered presentations on relevant programs and agency initiatives. Moreover, participants established direct contact with colleagues and experts, considered new potential opportunities for cross-program and cross-agency cooperation and discussed issues related organized crime.
CRIMJUST delivered presentations on the promotion of law enforcement cooperation at the national and international level and on UNODC projects working together across border operations in Nigeria and Ghana. The first presentation highlighted CRIMJUST achievements since 2016, emphasizing that more than 5500 participants have attended capacity building activities. The second contribution by CRIMJUST was on the process and success of promoting Ghana and Nigeria partnership to combat illicit trafficking, called "Operation Eagle", highlighted the importance of cross-country partnerships for combatting organized crime effectively. CRIMJUST will continuously implement joint activities and inter-regional projects, in order to strengthen law enforcement and judicial capacities.
Under the framework of the CRIMJUST project funded by EU Cocaine Route Programme, UNODC and its partners (INTERPOL and TI) aim to assist Member States to enhance their capacity and integrity of criminal justice institutions to detect, investigate, prosecute and adjudicate illicit cocaine trafficking cases, and to foster cooperation at the interregional level for effective action to tackle drug trafficking and related organized crime.
For more information:
- European Union "Cocaine Route Programme"
- INTERPOL
