Director-General/Executive Director
18 May 2015
Distinguished participants,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you for coming.
I do not need to tell you that this event on protecting migrants at sea and addressing migrant smuggling concerns a major, urgent crisis facing us today.
Every day brings fresh reports of ever more tragedies, of thousands more migrants undertaking perilous journeys, in the Mediterranean and other parts of the world, with many dying in the attempt.
The international community is struggling to address the crisis. High-level discussions are taking place, including at the Security Council.
UNODC, along with UNHCR, IOM, IMO and OHCHR, has called for concerted action to address the loss of life and serious human rights violations affecting migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees traveling by sea.
We emphasized the need for closer cooperation between States of origin, transit and destination to address the drivers of dangerous sea journeys and to help identify, prosecute and punish the criminal organizations responsible for the human rights abuses and dangerous sea journeys in breach of all safety regulations.
This is in line with the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants under the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, which seeks to prevent and combat migrant smuggling, promote cooperation to this end and protect the rights of smuggled migrants.
In order to achieve this, the Protocol requires States Parties to make migrant smuggling a criminal offence.
It addresses international cooperation, protection, technical assistance, document and border measures, information and prevention.
The Protocol makes clear that the offenders are not the smuggled migrants themselves, but rather the organized criminal groups behind the smuggling operations.
It further commits States Parties "to combat the root socio-economic causes of the smuggling of migrants, such as poverty and underdevelopment."
It is an incredibly complex problem, with no simple solutions.
The integrated, comprehensive response required by the Protocol must be founded on the principle of shared responsibility, with the engagement of the whole of the international community.
As part of UN system action, UNODC supports effective criminal justice responses in line with the Protocol and its aim of protecting smuggled migrants while going after the criminals.
We have developed a new strategy to contribute to international efforts and address migrant smuggling in the Mediterranean, through a strategic and integrated response encompassing five mutually reinforcing actions:
1. Research and analysis to identify trends and flows, and gaps in responses;
2. Strengthening national capacities to bring legislation in line and develop an effective criminal justice response;
3. Promoting regional and inter-regional cooperation through measures such as the establishment of a mechanism for information sharing;
4. Ensuring alignment and synergies with coordination mechanisms to address challenges at the global level; and
5. Enhancing capacities to protect smuggled migrants.
UNODC is also working with partners through cooperative regional and inter-regional frameworks, including the Khartoum, Rabat and Bali Processes, as well as through inter-agency initiatives such as the Global Migration Group.
Our strategy builds on UNODC's expertise and experience in addressing migrant smuggling and assisting Member States in implementing the UNTOC and its Protocols, and we are seeking the support of Member States to implement this response.
Our discussion today will show what such a response can mean in practice, and how effective criminal justice action and cooperation can help protect migrants and bring criminals to justice.
Dismantling international migrant smuggling networks and successfully prosecuting the criminals behind them is a daunting task.
Too often and for too long, smugglers have been able to operate with impunity, generating huge profits while appalling tragedies continue to occur on a daily basis.
Just last week there was a BBC report on smugglers blatantly using social media to run the "biggest illegal travel company in the world", luring desperate migrants with assurances of safe passage and package deals promising that children can travel for free.
Italy has long been on the frontlines of this challenge and has a great deal of experience and expertise to share.
As we will learn from our distinguished panellists, this experience demonstrates that the UNTOC and its Protocol can be used as an effective tool for international cooperation.
I think most importantly, their experiences show that even in the face of an overwhelming problem like migrant smuggling, successful action is possible.
The UNTOC works. We need to use it.
I look forward to our discussion. Thank you.