Statement by Minister-Counsellor Mr.Fumito Miyake, at the 8th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime(Agenda Item 1f, General Discussion)
2016/10/18
Madame President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to begin by congratulating you, Madame President, on your election and by extending our support to you. I would also like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to all members of the Secretariat for their efforts to make this important conference possible.
Madame President,
We are all aware of the increasing magnitude and impact of transnational organized crime. It undermines peace and security as well as the rule of law. It requires our collective response based on the global community’s common and shared responsibility. Through the adoption of Goal 16 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, States shared the view to promote the rule of law at national and international levels, and to combat all forms of organized crime. Japan believes the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols serve as the primary universal instrument to comprehensively address the scourge of transnational organized crime and to achieve this sustainable development goal.
Madame President,
In this context, Japan would like to reiterate its appreciation for the successful outcome of the 13th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Doha, Qatar. Through the Doha Declaration, which recognized the mutual reinforcing nature between sustainable development and the rule of law, we reaffirmed our commitment to make more effective use of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in order to strengthen the rule of law, and move towards action. As the host country of the next Crime Congress, Japan reaffirms its full commitment to promote the rule of law and to combat transnational organized crime.
Madame President,
Let me briefly touch upon Japan’s recent commitments in both domestic and international context.
In the domestic context Japan continues to make every effort to submit the bill to conclude the Convention and now we are continuously seeking the appropriate timing of its submission. In parallel with these efforts, this past May, Japan revised its criminal procedure laws to make interception of wire communication permissible for investigations of wider categories of organized crimes. Additionally, the cooperation agreement rule system is to be introduced for the first time ever in order to provide a suspect with incentives to cooperate in the prosecution of accomplices. These new tools will certainly serve to support the fight against organized crime.
In the international context, no single State can fight against transnational organized crime on its own. Bolstering international cooperation is essential to enhance our collective capacity in the implementation of the Convention. In order to assist our collective fight against transnational organized crime, Japan has supported multiple projects conducted by the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime, in the field of countering cybercrime as well as trafficking in persons in the region of Southeast Asia. Other projects supported by Japan address the threat of terrorism and violent extremism in the region of the Asia, Middle East and Africa. Japan believes UNODC’s global cybercrime program is a quite effective tool to provide technical solutions for practical challenges law enforcement officers and judiciaries are facing. To address the lack of capacities in each jurisdiction to enforce existing national and international law on cybercrime is our prime task. In this regard, Japan invites other states to further explore the maximum use of existing legal frameworks including this Convention with sufficient technical assistance provision, before examining a new international instrument.
Madame President,
Over the last thirteen years, since it entered into force, the Convention has served as the sole and essential global instrument and as the legal basis of mutual legal assistance and extradition for law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges. In order to make full and effective use of the UNTOC in this context, Japan believes gathering and sharing of information among Member States is critical. Japan strongly believes we have reached a decisive moment to complete our long-standing agenda of establishing an effective review mechanism. We are fully committed to joining the deliberations in a constructive manner in order to determine an effective and feasible, not burdensome, review mechanism with long term effects.
Madame President,
Before closing my remarks, my delegation would like to confirm our continued effort to assist in the fight against transnational organized crime. We sincerely hope the discussions in this session will produce outcomes that strengthen our collective commitment against transnational organized crime. I thank you.
I would like to begin by congratulating you, Madame President, on your election and by extending our support to you. I would also like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to all members of the Secretariat for their efforts to make this important conference possible.
Madame President,
We are all aware of the increasing magnitude and impact of transnational organized crime. It undermines peace and security as well as the rule of law. It requires our collective response based on the global community’s common and shared responsibility. Through the adoption of Goal 16 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, States shared the view to promote the rule of law at national and international levels, and to combat all forms of organized crime. Japan believes the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols serve as the primary universal instrument to comprehensively address the scourge of transnational organized crime and to achieve this sustainable development goal.
Madame President,
In this context, Japan would like to reiterate its appreciation for the successful outcome of the 13th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Doha, Qatar. Through the Doha Declaration, which recognized the mutual reinforcing nature between sustainable development and the rule of law, we reaffirmed our commitment to make more effective use of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in order to strengthen the rule of law, and move towards action. As the host country of the next Crime Congress, Japan reaffirms its full commitment to promote the rule of law and to combat transnational organized crime.
Madame President,
Let me briefly touch upon Japan’s recent commitments in both domestic and international context.
In the domestic context Japan continues to make every effort to submit the bill to conclude the Convention and now we are continuously seeking the appropriate timing of its submission. In parallel with these efforts, this past May, Japan revised its criminal procedure laws to make interception of wire communication permissible for investigations of wider categories of organized crimes. Additionally, the cooperation agreement rule system is to be introduced for the first time ever in order to provide a suspect with incentives to cooperate in the prosecution of accomplices. These new tools will certainly serve to support the fight against organized crime.
In the international context, no single State can fight against transnational organized crime on its own. Bolstering international cooperation is essential to enhance our collective capacity in the implementation of the Convention. In order to assist our collective fight against transnational organized crime, Japan has supported multiple projects conducted by the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime, in the field of countering cybercrime as well as trafficking in persons in the region of Southeast Asia. Other projects supported by Japan address the threat of terrorism and violent extremism in the region of the Asia, Middle East and Africa. Japan believes UNODC’s global cybercrime program is a quite effective tool to provide technical solutions for practical challenges law enforcement officers and judiciaries are facing. To address the lack of capacities in each jurisdiction to enforce existing national and international law on cybercrime is our prime task. In this regard, Japan invites other states to further explore the maximum use of existing legal frameworks including this Convention with sufficient technical assistance provision, before examining a new international instrument.
Madame President,
Over the last thirteen years, since it entered into force, the Convention has served as the sole and essential global instrument and as the legal basis of mutual legal assistance and extradition for law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges. In order to make full and effective use of the UNTOC in this context, Japan believes gathering and sharing of information among Member States is critical. Japan strongly believes we have reached a decisive moment to complete our long-standing agenda of establishing an effective review mechanism. We are fully committed to joining the deliberations in a constructive manner in order to determine an effective and feasible, not burdensome, review mechanism with long term effects.
Madame President,
Before closing my remarks, my delegation would like to confirm our continued effort to assist in the fight against transnational organized crime. We sincerely hope the discussions in this session will produce outcomes that strengthen our collective commitment against transnational organized crime. I thank you.