Pakistan Reiterates Commitment to Undertake Efforts and Underscores Need for Greater International Cooperation
Report: Muhammad Amir Siddique UNO United Nations Vienna Austria
VIENNA : Pakistan Reiterates Commitment to Undertake Efforts and Underscores Need for Greater International Cooperation to Counter Transnational Organised Crime.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Representative to the International Organisations in Vienna, Ambassador Aftab Ahmad Khokher underscored Pakistan’s firm resolve to undertake efforts to counter transnational organised crime while delivering the national statement at the 11th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTC) in Vienna.
He called for strong political will, comprehensive national legislations, effective implementation of policies and programs and most importantly, enhanced international co-operation, including in the areas of law enforcement and criminal justice, which are fundamental to tackling organised crime.
Ambassador Khokher further highlighted that Pakistan had taken a number of legislative and administrative steps to root out the ill-effects of crimes including human trafficking, migrant smuggling, corruption and money laundering.
He added that these steps were in line with the protocols to UNTOC and Pakistan continued to work in close cooperation with our bilateral partners and other international organisations including the UNODC. He also shared that Pakistan had successfully undertaken the UNTOC Review Mechanism whose hallmark was the Government of Pakistan’s active engagement with civil society.
He emphasised Pakistan’s commitment to continue its effective participation in this regard. Noting the emerging forms of transnational organised crime such as in the domain of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), Ambassador Khokher stressed that effective legislative and policy interventions as well as mutual cooperation and exchange of information were required.
He welcomed the progress made by the Ad Hoc Committee (AHC) to Elaborate a Comprehensive International Convention on Combating the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes to address these issues in its past three negotiating sessions.
The 11th Session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime is taking place from 17 till 21 October 2022 in Vienna.