G8 Supports UN Convention on Organized Crime
May 18, 1998 - 0:0
BIRMINGHAM, England G8 leaders on Saturday supported efforts to negotiate a UN convention against organized crime within two years, saying such crime poses a global threat to society. Globalization has been accompanied by a dramatic increase in transnational crime from drugs and weapons trafficking to people smuggling, the group of eight leading industrial democracies said in a statement on the second day of their summit here.
Such crimes pose a global threat which can undermine the democratic and economic basis of societies and the only way to fight this threat is through international cooperation, the statement said. The G8 leaders urged the negotiation of an effective UN convention against international organized crime within two years, and agreed to implement recommendations by ministers to combat high-tech crime. They also called for cooperation with industry on preserving electronic data as evidence for criminal cases, notably abuse of the Internet. They welcomed the Financial Action Task Force on money-laundering's decision to broaden its work in partnership with regional groupings, and agreed on the need for legislation to make it easier to confiscate the assets of convicted criminals in several countries.
On human smuggling, the G8 agreed to take joint action to combat trafficking in women and children and said the UN convention should help combat this trade. They supported an action plan to combat arms trafficiking, and asked ministers to report back to next year's summit on progress in combating high tech crime, money laundering and people smuggling. Noting that there is a strong link between drugs and other national and international crime, the G8 stressed its commitment to partnership and shared responsibility in the international community to combat illicit drugs.
Doy Penrose, head of Britain's National Crime Squad, briefed the summit and told leaders that according to UN estimates transnational crime costs developed countries up to two percent of their gross national product annually. The figure for developing countries was 14 percent. An estimated $450 billion is moved around the world electronically every day and has become an increasing target for sophisticated criminals, using technology to steal money and information, Penrose told a press conference.
(AFP)
Such crimes pose a global threat which can undermine the democratic and economic basis of societies and the only way to fight this threat is through international cooperation, the statement said. The G8 leaders urged the negotiation of an effective UN convention against international organized crime within two years, and agreed to implement recommendations by ministers to combat high-tech crime. They also called for cooperation with industry on preserving electronic data as evidence for criminal cases, notably abuse of the Internet. They welcomed the Financial Action Task Force on money-laundering's decision to broaden its work in partnership with regional groupings, and agreed on the need for legislation to make it easier to confiscate the assets of convicted criminals in several countries.
On human smuggling, the G8 agreed to take joint action to combat trafficking in women and children and said the UN convention should help combat this trade. They supported an action plan to combat arms trafficiking, and asked ministers to report back to next year's summit on progress in combating high tech crime, money laundering and people smuggling. Noting that there is a strong link between drugs and other national and international crime, the G8 stressed its commitment to partnership and shared responsibility in the international community to combat illicit drugs.
Doy Penrose, head of Britain's National Crime Squad, briefed the summit and told leaders that according to UN estimates transnational crime costs developed countries up to two percent of their gross national product annually. The figure for developing countries was 14 percent. An estimated $450 billion is moved around the world electronically every day and has become an increasing target for sophisticated criminals, using technology to steal money and information, Penrose told a press conference.
(AFP)