Director-General/Executive Director
Your Excellency, Mr. Ken Saito, Minister of Justice of Japan,
Distinguished panel members,
Distinguished Ministers,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am deeply honoured to address you today at this Justice Affairs Diplomacy Ministerial Forum and would like to congratulate Japan for holding it and thank you for inviting UNODC.
For over five decades, the ASEAN-Japan partnership has been a leading example of regional collaboration built on trust, mutual respect, and support for multilateralism and its values.
This week, that partnership is the foundation for the Justice Ministers of ASEAN and the G7 to meet together for the first time, in a moment of global need. This is indeed a unique opportunity!
As we gather here to reaffirm our commitment to the rule of law, our world is facing unprecedented challenges.
All over the world, political, social, economic, and climate challenges are driving conflict, hindering justice, eroding trust, and undermining human rights.
Over 110 million people are displaced worldwide, the highest number ever recorded.
They are often left at the mercy of human traffickers and organized crime groups.
Illicit drug markets continue to expand, different forms of trafficking are exploiting rule of law gaps, and terrorism is finding new ground and evolving.
These cascading crises are spilling across borders and regions, and they are leaving the Sustainable Development Goals further out of reach for all, especially those who are most vulnerable.
The rule of law is a cornerstone of strong and resilient societies capable of withstanding crises, and a key driver of Agenda 2030.
And as the UN Secretary-General emphasized in his report on Our Common Agenda, now is the time to “reset and reinforce the centrality of the rule of law” by linking it with human rights, sustainable development, and people-centered approaches.
The Work Plan on Rule of Law and Justice, which you will endorse later today, provides a solid regional contribution to this global endeavour.
It is actually perfectly aligned with the broad mandate of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and with our corporate strategy, and you can count on our support in its implementation.
UNODC is already strongly engaged in the region.
Last year, I was proud to launch the new Regional Programme for Southeast Asia and the Pacific 2022-2026.
The programme seeks to reinforce the rule of law in Southeast Asia, including by working closely with our partners in the region, such as UNDP, the Thai Institute of Justice, and the AFAE.
As the guardian of the UN Conventions on Corruption and Transnational Organized Crime, as well as the UN Standards and Norms on the Treatment of Offenders, UNODC is supporting the region in building resilience against challenges to the rule of law.
And as Secretariat of the Mekong Memorandum of Understanding on Drug Control, UNODC is helping address regional drug challenges.
Our latest data indicates that the drug trade in East and Southeast Asia has seen alarming growth in the production and trafficking of synthetic drugs over the past decade.
Organized criminal networks are increasingly diversifying their trafficking routes on land and at sea to evade law enforcement authorities, necessitating a transnational response.
In line with the Border Management Cooperation Roadmap adopted by the ASEAN in 2021, we are working to enhance law enforcement capacities, to enable them to effectively combat these cross-border challenges.
We are also strengthening judicial cooperation through the Criminal Justice Forum for Asia and the Pacific, Crim-Ap, established to follow-up on the Kyoto Declaration adopted at the 14th UN Crime Congress.
The forum is a vital link between the ASEAN and several G7 member states, and I am grateful to Japan and the ASEAN Mutual Legal Assistance Secretariat for their continued support to this important initiative.
Our Office is making an impact on the ground across our mandate areas, and we are prepared to do more to reinforce the rule of law, in partnership with the ASEAN and G7 countries.
Ladies and gentlemen,
As we approach the SDG Summit later this year, world leaders are aspiring to take bold steps to rescue the SDGs.
This Justice Affairs Diplomacy Forum is a chance to commit to bold action to promote the rule of law as a key enabler of the SDGs, in the Indo-Pacific and beyond, and to promote international cooperation.
It is also a chance to focus on whole-of-society approaches, where everyone has a role in upholding justice, and where the rule of law prevails not only in institutions and legislation, but also in culture. And I would like to commend here the unique, voluntary role of the “Hogoshies” to promote rule of law and serve society.
The role of youth is particularly important, and I would like to commend the Minister of Justice of Japan, Mr. Ken Saito, for convening a Special Youth Forum.
The SDGs and all of our multilateral aspirations are promises to future generations, and as we pursue such aspirations, we must empower the young people who will lead those generations.
Together, we can chart a path forward for a fair, just, and inclusive world for all where indeed no one is left behind.
Thank you.