EU Statement – UN General Assembly 3rd Committee: Crime and Drugs

EU Statement - UN General Assembly 3rd Committee: Crime and Drugs

03.10.2022 Press and information team of the Delegation to the UN in New York

3 October 2022, New York - European Union Statement delivered at the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly Third Committee on Items 109, 110 and 111: Crime and Drugs

Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.

Every member of this Assembly is confronted with the issues of drug control, transnational organised crime, including cyber-attacks, violent extremism and potential terrorist attacks. These threats impact on all five corepriorities of the SDG agenda: people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership.

The EU as a steadfast supporter of multilateralism is convinced that the UN system provides an efficient frame in tackling the complex challenges in the field of crime prevention by supporting the action that each government must take against these challenges, and to encouragejudicial and law enforcement cooperation between and among the different actors, states and regional organisations. Fighting these crimes also involves safeguarding the delicate balance between security and freedom, efficiency and the defence of values and human rights.

The European Union reaffirms the importance of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC) and its Protocols in combating both existing and emerging forms of transnational organised crime and calls on all states to comprehensively implement them. At the same time, the European Union stands ready to assess its implementation of the UNTOC and to contribute to the review process of other parties to the Convention.

Organised Crime

Organised crime poses a significant threat to citizens, businesses, and state institutions, as well as to the economy as a whole. The organised crime landscape is characterised by a networked environment where cooperation between criminals is fluid, systematic and driven by a profit-oriented focus. Aside from operating in the shadows, organised crime groups use their large illegal profits to infiltrate the licit economy and public institutions, including via corruption, eroding the rule of law, human rights and democracy, and undermining people's right to safety, as well as their trust in public authorities.

These rapidly evolving modi operandi of organised crime groups operating offline and online call for a coordinated and targeted response. Organised crime needs to be tackled by addressing the specificities of each form of crime but also by tackling the structures behind them, their profits and the technologies used to commit their crimes. The European Union and its Member States are stepping up efforts against organised crime groups, in line with the EU Strategy to tackle Organised Crime 2021-2025, adopted in April 2021. The Strategy sets out actions to boost cross-border cooperation, tackle high-priority crimes and criminal networks, eliminate criminal profits and make law enforcement and the judiciary fit for the digital age.

Money laundering

The EU recognises the key role of asset recovery and promotes the 'follow the money' approach to tackle organised crime and corruption.

In July 2021, the European Commission presented a package of legislative proposals to strengthen the EU's anti-money laundering and countering terrorism financing (AML/CFT) rules, harmonising the anti-money laundering rules for private entities through a single rulebook and establishing a new EU Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism to reinforce EU-wide supervision and support financial intelligence coordination.

Moreover, as announced in the EU Strategy to tackle Organised Crime, the Commission adopted a proposal for a new Directive on asset recovery and confiscation on 25 May 2022. Depriving criminals of their ill-gotten gains is essential to disrupt criminal activities and to remove the main motivation behind crime, this is, financial gain. The proposal aims at strengthening Member States' capabilities to identify, freeze, manage, confiscate and ultimately recover criminal assets, so to ensure that crime does not pay.

Corruption

Corruption undermines the rule of law, human rights and the trust of our democratic institutions. This is why the fight against corruption is a top priority for the EU at global, regional and country level.

Internationally, the EU remains fully committed to uphold the best standards on anticorruption with the implementation review process under the United Nations Convention against Corruption, which was launched in July 2021. We believe this process adds real added value to the cooperation between the European Union, the UNODC and our international partners.

The EU has a comprehensive toolbox to fight against corruption globallyand relies on a holistic and human rights-based approach. Our instruments include, inter alia, trade measures, human rights dialogues and specific anti-corruption support to third countries. We also support and protect those exposing corruption, including civil society, human rights defenders, journalists, academics and whistle-blowers. More internally, the European Commission systematically monitors the measures related to the justice system, the anti-corruption framework, media pluralism and other institutional issues on checks and balances in all EU Member States within the framework of the European Rule of Law mechanism.

The EU Security Union Strategy (2020-2025) and the recent EU Strategy to tackle Organised Crime (presented by the Commission in April 2021) consider the fight against corruption a key priority and foresee various strategic actions in the close future. The EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024 also includes concrete anti-corruption actions, which we are implementing on the ground.

Trafficking in human beings

Trafficking in human beings is a heinous crime and a gross violation and abuse of human rights. The prevention of, and fight against, this crime, as well as the protection, assistance and support of the victims are priorities for the European Union. At the global level, we uphold the principles of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children and support Member States and non-EU countries in the implementation of these instruments.

Strongly committed to multilateralism, we reaffirm our efforts towards the achievement of targets 5.2, 8.7 and 16.2 of the Agenda 2030 through development assistance and partnerships with non-EU countries and international organisations, as well as within our Member States. The EU has in place a strong legal and policy framework, which is in line with the international standards.

In line with the EU Strategy on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings 2021-2025, we are committed to reducing the demand that fosters all forms of exploitation; disrupting the criminal model of traffickers online and offline; and protecting, supporting and empowering victims, in particular women, children and other persons in vulnerable situation These priorities are also relevant at the international level, where the EU continues to engage with partner countries and to cooperate closely with international organisations and countries of origin and transit. Trafficking in human beings does not stop at the borders, and accordingly the EU supports exchanges of best practices, and sharing of information and criminal intelligence on trafficking and criminal groups.

Smuggling of migrants

Saving lives and fighting migrant smuggling has remained at the core of all EU actions to reduce irregular migration. These are clear priorities under both the New Pact on Migration and Asylum as proposed by the Commission and the EU Security Union Strategy. The EU and its Member States will continue to fight resolutely migrant smugglers and to dismantle their business model. We need to continue investing resources and finding innovative ways to tackle crime networks, who are increasingly quick in exploiting policy gaps and adapting their modi operandi to perpetuate their illegal business.

A highly worrying phenomenon observed recently is the increasing role of State actors in artificially creating and facilitating irregular migration, using migratory flows for political purposes. The instrumentalisation of migrants and refugees for political purposes, including as witnessed along the EU external borders, is unacceptable. These practices are in breach of international law and often deliberately and inhumanely put the lives and well-being of migrants in danger, including those of women and children.

On 29 September 2021, the European Commission presented a renewed EU action plan against migrant smuggling for the period 2021-2025, building on the first-ever comprehensive policy framework at EU level - the EU Action Plan against migrant smuggling 2015-2020 - To reinforce cooperation with partner countries, the renewed EU action plan proposes to develop dedicated and tailor-made Anti-Smuggling Operational Partnerships with partner countries or regions along migratory routes towards the EU, as part of the EU's broader migration partnerships. The first of such partnerships - with Morocco and Niger - have been launched in 2022.

Organised crime at sea

Maritime crime and trafficking at sea, in particular piracy and armed robbery, arms and drug trafficking, smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings, are increasingly recognized as being among the most serious threats to our common security and theglobal economy.

Earlier this year, the EU adopted a revised Action Plan on Maritime Security, which promotes a holistic perspective on maritime security, encompassing terrorism as well as cyber, hybrid, chemical, and other threats in the maritime domain, supports regional, tailor-made responses to challenges, and call for a stronger collaboration between civilian and military actors, and among specialised agencies. This coincided with the UN Security Council Arria formula meeting on maritime Crime as a Threat to International Peace and Security, which allowed identifying good practices for the international community to strengthen prevention mechanisms and responses to counter maritime crime.

Drugs

In the field of drugs, the Outcome Document of UN General Assembly Special Session on Drugs (UNGASS) of 2016 remains the most comprehensive international drug policy document and incorporates broader human rights, health and development perspectives. At the 62^nd session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in March 2019, with the adoption of the Ministerial Declaration, we reaffirmed our commitment to "strengthening our actions at the national, regional and international levels to accelerate the implementation of our joint commitments to address and counter the world drug problem". Accelerating the implementation of our joint commitments, including all the aspects of the Outcome Document, is precisely what we should now focus on. To do so, the UN system Common Position published in March 2019, on the question of global drug policy to advance security, development and human rights goes in the right direction in response to the growing need to provide multidimensional support to Member States on drug related matters.

In order to implement our joint commitments to address the world's drug problem in line with the principles we are promoting, we adopted an EU Drugs Strategy and Action Plan 2021-2025. The Strategy aims to ensure a high level of health promotion, social stability and security, and contribute to awareness raising.

The EU has regular dialogues on drugs with partner countries and regions and provides assistance through drugs-related external cooperation programmes, notably promoting sustainable development.We are working with these partners to effectively implement our commitments to address the world's drug situation.

The EU also continues to oppose as a matter of principle the use of death penalty, including for drug-related crimes. More generally, we promote responses to drug-related offences that are in line with international law and standards, and the principle of proportionality.

In the Ministerial Declaration of 2019, we jointly resolved to review the progress in implementing our international drug policy commitments in 2029 and to carrying out a mid-term review in the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in 2024. The time for this mid-term review is approaching. This exercise will be the occasion of a comprehensive stock-taking of progress made and should serve as basis for reinforcing our actions aimed at ensuring the implementation of our international commitments.

Cybercrime

Fighting cybercrime remains among the priorities for EU action. We are concerned about the surge of ransomware attacks indiscriminately targeting individuals, businesses and public authorities, which we have witnessed over recent months. The EU calls on all UN Members to step up their action to prevent these attacks, investigate the incidents and prosecute those responsible. The EU stands ready to provide technical assistance to all partners to strengthen their capacity to investigate cybercrime.

By its nature, cybercrime is transnational, and we need effective mechanisms for international cooperation. The Second Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Budapest Convention, which was opened for signatures in May, provides enhanced possibilities for accessing digital evidence, which is critical to investigate cybercrime as well as any other criminal activity.

At the same time, we remain committed to negotiating a new effective instrument against cybercrime in the context of the UN Ad Hoc Committee set up for that purpose and which has already held three negotiating sessions this year. The objective of the EU and its Member States continues to be ensuring a new convention that is compatible with existing and well-established international instruments on organised crime and cybercrime, like UNTOC, UNCAC and the Budapest Convention, and underpinned by strong conditions and safeguards that ensure the highest possible protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Environmental crime

Environmental crime causes serious economic, environmental and social damage within the EU and globally and can have a negative impact on human rights, including the rights to life, health, and healthy working conditions. The EU Strategy to tackle Organised Crime puts a particular emphasis on the need to step up international efforts against environmental crime by strengthening the capabilities of law enforcement authorities to tackle environmental crime. In 2021, we proposed reinforced rules on the criminalization of environmental crimes and highlighted the importance of supporting and protecting those who report or expose environmental crime, so they are not disadvantaged or harassed for their cooperation. We will also propose a revised EU action plan against wildlife trafficking.

Counter-terrorism and prevention of radicalisation

The EU Counter-Terrorism Agenda, which focuses on anticipating threats, stepping up prevention efforts, protecting people, public spaces and infrastructures and responding when terrorist attacks occur, remains key. International engagement across these four pillars is essential to effectively counter terrorism and violent extremism. To this end the EU cooperates with partner countries, for example, through the contacts of the EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, and the network of CT and security experts stationed in EU Delegations in priority countries around the world. In some priority third countries - such as the Western Balkans - the collaboration with the EU takes place through the implementation of a well-structured common policy framework, as it is the case for the "Joint Action Plan on Counter Terrorism for the Western Balkans". The EU continues to support the key role of the UN and its offices and entities, such as the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism. The UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, relevant Security Council resolutions and the Plan of Action to prevent violent extremism, will continue to guide the EU's own efforts in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

Thank you.