Nations Build Alliances To Stop Organized Crime

• NCJ Number: 191390
• Journal: Global Issues Volume: 6 Issue: 2 Dated: August 2001 Pages: 27-30
• Author(s): Pino Arlacchi
• Date Published: August 2001
• Length: 4 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. Downloaded October 26, 2001.

Annotation

After examining trends in transnational organized crime, this article describes the international response envisioned by the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, which was signed by representatives of 124 countries in December 2000.

Abstract

The collapse of totalitarian states that have had extensive and sophisticated security and intelligence networks has led to many of the personnel from these networks becoming involved in organized crime, thus increasing the ability of organized crime to become involved in sophisticated, diversified criminal activities. Crime groups can in certain cases outsmart the police, because they have better techniques, better equipment, and more resources. Organized criminal organizations not only maintain links with some legitimate businesses and some sectors of governments; at times they also thrive from terrorism and civil war. A major breakthrough in the battle against transnational organized crime is the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, under which the signatories agree to criminalize the simple participation in an organized criminal group, whether or not the individual actually was involved in a particular crime. Under the convention, governments also commit themselves to criminalizing money laundering, corruption, and obstruction of justice. Further, the new convention provides a framework for the confiscation and seizure of the proceeds of organized crime and of property or equipment used in criminal acts. The longest article in the convention is devoted to mutual legal assistance, as it addresses a wide range of practical ways in which states can cooperate with one another. State-of-the-art techniques that have proven useful in bilateral cooperation arrangements are now elevated to global status. Other issues addressed in the convention are the protection of victims/witnesses, crime prevention, and trafficking in firearms.