The past several years have been marked by an unprecedented growth of the terrorist threat which has been considerably exacerbated by the growing links between terrorist groups and criminal networks. These synergies are particularly strong in the most fragile regions and countries of the world and they contribute to fostering conflicts, preventing their resolution and hampering efforts of the international community to promote the rule of law, peace and security.
This specific threat has raised major concerns by the international community and it has been addressed in several United Nations resolutions, including the fifth review of the UN Global Counterterrorism Strategy resolution (A/RES/70/291) and UNSCR 2195 (2014) on terrorists benefiting from links with transnational organized crime.
UNODC has been mandated to support requesting Member States in the implementation of capacity-building programmes to address such links. It is in this context that UNODC has organized, together with the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in Vienna, a high level event, on the margins of the Eighth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, on
Strengthening criminal justice responses to the phenomenon of terrorists benefiting from links with transnational organized crime.
The event took place on 17 October at the Vienna International Center and benefited from the participation as panelists of Mr. Yury Fedotov, UNODC Executive Director; H.E. Michèle Ramis, Ambassador at Large on Transnational Criminal Threats at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development of France; Mr. Jean Paul Laborde, Executive Director at the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate; H.E. Mr. Auday Al-Khairalla, Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations in Vienna, in representation of Mr. Maher Najm Abdulhussein Al-Taie, Deputy Minister for Interior of Iraq, and Judge Joseph Samaha, President, Court de Cassation of Lebanon. The event was moderated by Mr. John Brandolino, Director of the Division for Treaty Affairs, UNODC. More than 100 people among Member States, regional organizations and civil society entities attended the event.
The meeting concluded that links between terrorism and transnational organized crime are well established and real cases examples of such links and factual information were provided by the panelists. The panel also highlighted the importance of effective criminal justice responses to this phenomenon, including in the area of international cooperation. It was recognized that there is an urgent need to focus on further strengthening and supporting capacity building programmes in this area, including those carried out by UNODC.
