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For information only - not an official document
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VIENNA, 28 November (UN Information Service) -- The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has jointly organized a “Sub-Regional Seminar for the ratification and the implementation of the Universal Instruments against Terrorism and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its three Protocols” with the Government of Mali. It took place in Bamako, Mali, from 25 to 28 November 2003.
UNODC counted on the expertise of the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the Security Council and the International Monetary Fund.
Around 50 participants attended the Seminar. The representatives from the following regional organizations were also present: CEDEAO/ECOWAS, CEMAC, AU and UNAFRI. 20 countries were represented by senior officials and experts.
The provisions of the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its three Protocols as well as the 12 universal instruments against terrorism were largely analysed, with special emphasis on mechanisms for extradition and mutual legal assistance. Special attention was given to the Resolution 1373 of the Security Council notably on the requirements to combat the financing of terrorism.
The Seminar concluded with a series of concrete recommendations such as: the need of taking the above-mentioned instruments as a legal basis for extradition and mutual legal assistance; the lifting of bank secrecy for effective international cooperation; the obligation of prosecuting in cases of non-extradition; the impossibility to invoke reasons of political nature for denying extradition; the insertion of the status of ratification of each country in the agenda of the meetings of the sub-regional and regional organizations.
The Seminar was closed by His Excellence the Minister of Justice of Mali who thanked UNODC for this initiative. The participants agreed to disseminate the conclusions and recommendations of this Seminar to their own national authorities in order to follow-up the progress of their national legislations and their status of ratification and implementation. .
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