New York, October 17: The UAE pledges continuous support to crime prevention, criminal justice and drug control efforts being made by the United Nations, its agencies and all other international relevant organisations.
A UAE representative to the UN said this at the “Debate on Crime Prevention, Criminal Justice, Drug Control” held recently in New York by the UN General Assembly’s Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs Committee, commonly referred to as the Third Committee.
The UAE reaffirms its strong belief that success in the global fight against trafficking in drugs and humans, as well as the associated problems of transnational organised crime and money-laundering required interlocking national, regional and international strategies rooted in global cooperation, said the statement delivered by member of the UAE delegation Khalifa Al Mazroui.
The UAE’s statement further stressed on the benefits of a comprehensive approach to combating the threats posed by drug trafficking and organised crime and said trafficking in drugs and humans as well as the associated problems of transnational organised crime and money-laundering require synchronised efforts on multiple fronts.
Al Mazroui noted that transnational crime and terrorism undermined development plans, and multilateral cooperation to combat those phenomena should be strengthened as a matter of necessity in the context of globalisation and advanced means of communication.
He also noted the efforts being made by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to fight crimes.
The UAE had spared no effort in developing its legislation on human rights in compliance with the international law. This includes creating the National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking, a national anti-human trafficking body tasked with coordinating anti-human trafficking efforts at all levels in all the seven emirates of the UAE federation.
The UAE, he explained, also joined the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children and the Convention against Transnational Organised Crime.
Al Mazroui said the UAE had committed $15 million in support of the UN’s Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT).
Based on its belief that human trafficking is a despicable crime and it has to diligently work to combat this practice in any form, the UAE is intensifying efforts to combat crime, drugs and human trafficking with each passing year.
The UAE government, he added, is acting on every front of its four-pillar strategy: legislation, enforcement, victim support, as well as bilateral agreements and international cooperation.
The UAE will continue to demonstrate resolve, and acknowledge where it needs to improve, he added. Simultaneously, the UAE will continue to cooperate with all appropriate regional and international law enforcement officials to apprehend, prosecute and punish those violating the UAE’s human trafficking law and those attempting to use the country as a channel to violate anti-trafficking laws of other countries.
The UAE is also committed to serving as a model for change in the region and an active member of the international community.
It continues to welcome direct discussion and collaboration with other governments, public or private sector groups, or international organisations that share the vision of stemming the tide of human trafficking.
Additionally, workshops and training sessions are conducted frequently for the benefit of law enforcement officials. — Wam
Training was conducted in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration and International Labour Organisation.
–Agencies