UN SECURITY COUNCIL FEBRUARY 24 THEMATIC DEBATE

UNCLAS STATE 015558

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UNSC XA XY UNCND UNIDCP SNAR
SUBJECT: UN SECURITY COUNCIL FEBRUARY 24 THEMATIC DEBATE
ON DRUG TRAFFICKING


1. This is an action request. USUN may draw from the
statement in paragraph 2 for the UN Security Council thematic
debate on Drug Trafficking in West Africa on February 24. End
action request.


2. Begin Statement:

Thank you, Mr. President.

The United States would like to thank France for its
leadership in drawing attention to the increasing threat to
international peace and security posed by transnational
organized crime and drug trafficking. We also appreciate the
update from Executive Director Costa. His briefing today
indicates the seriousness of the threats we face, and we look
forward to his continued collaboration with the Council.

Mr. President, international observers, including the UN
Office on Drugs and Crime, have calculated that transnational
organized crime and corruption may siphon up to 15% of the
world,s gross domestic product, undermining key global
industries and markets, and distorting the benefits of trade
and commerce. The scourge of drugs and drug trafficking
undermine political stability and the rule of law. Illegal
drugs waste lives and devastate families, schools, and
communities. They overload our prisons, strain our law
enforcement sectors, and tax our public health system.

But this organized crime has taken on a new dimension. Links
between drug trafficking and terrorist and insurgent groups
are well-documented and further endanger stability and
economic development. Criminal syndicates support terrorist
groups by facilitating their clandestine trans-border
movements, weapons smuggling, and forging of documents.

At the same time, terrorist groups employ organized criminal
activity as a means of self-financing, including extortion
and drug dealing, as well as modern offenses such as credit
card fraud and insurance scams. Such growing
terrorist-criminal cooperation is of particular concern to
all of us. This interdependence makes it much more difficult
to prevent terrorist financing.

As terrorist groups increasingly mimic the tactics of
organized crime, our international response needs to
incorporate more of the tools used by traditional law
enforcement. The United States is working with international
partners to identify and dismantle these linkages wherever
they exist, and to promote the comprehensive reforms to
criminal justice and law enforcement institutions necessary
for long-term prevention.

Mr. President, the UN Convention against Transnational
Organized Crime - the Palermo Convention and the UN
Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) - created a new global
template for international law enforcement cooperation. They
- along with the three UN conventions against illegal drugs
* form the backbone of a common multilateral framework for
protecting our publics against the threats of crime, drugs
and corruption.

Unfortunately, in the years since the Conventions were
adopted, criminal networks have taken advantage of high
technology tools such as the internet and electronic
financial transactions, increased cross-border commercial
activity, and globalization to expand internationally. This
type of criminal activity is harder to trace and prevent,
particularly when applied in less developed or post-conflict
regions. We must work together to strengthen and make better
use of the tools the Conventions provide us, and halt the
destabilizing effect of transnational crime.

Mr. President, allow me to emphasize the commitment of the
United States to these widespread problems by outlining our
efforts to help governments take responsibility as equal
partners in this struggle to disrupt organized crime and
other destabilizing groups. For 2010, the Department of
State has allocated approximately $2 billion on priority
programs to support three inter-related objectives:

--Institutionalize the rule of law by developing and
expanding criminal justice systems to strengthen partner
country law enforcement and judicial effectiveness, foster
cooperation in legal affairs, and advance respect for human
rights;

--Disrupt the overseas production and trafficking of illicit
drugs through targeted counternarcotics and
institution-building assistance and coordination with foreign
nations and international organizations; and

--Minimize the impact of transnational crime and criminal
networks on the United States and others through enhanced
international cooperation and foreign assistance.

Mr. President, one of the key components of the Palermo
Convention is the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish
Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children. The
trafficking of persons tears at a community,s social fabric.
During economic crises, persons desperate for work are
especially vulnerable to the threats posed by trafficking
organizations. We must show continued and sustained efforts
to counter this threat and to protect its victims. It is not
enough to simply pass a trafficking law or announce a
national plan of action; we must act globally to actually
implement trafficking laws, and ensure that these laws assist
victims while prosecuting traffickers, in order to help end
this form of modern slavery.

The United States is working to build the capacity of foreign
law enforcement agencies to combat complex transnational
crimes such as trafficking-in-persons and migrant smuggling
so that they are able to assist in multinational efforts to
disrupt the global networks of transnational criminal
organizations.

As noted in our statement during the December session, these
transnational issues often have an impact on the security of
post-conflict states, where criminal justice sectors may have
been destroyed or even hijacked by criminal organizations.
Such regions can be breeding grounds for drug traffickers,
terrorists, and other bad actors, who can undermine
reconstruction efforts and threaten the security of
neighboring states. We believe that the Security Council
should take these issues into consideration, as appropriate,
when creating or reviewing mandates for peacekeeping
operations. Likewise, the Council should consider
actionsunder relevant sanctions resolutions,as appropriate,
to help counteract the impact of such transnational threats.

In conclusion, Mr. President, let me highlight the
contributions of international and regional organizations to
the fight against transnational organized crime and drug
trafficking. Notably, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC) is a critical partner for providing states with the
necessary assistance to implement not only the Palermo
Convention, but also the UN Convention Against Corruption and
the drug control treaties. We also applaud UNODC,s focus on
providing member states with legislative and technical
assistance and national capacity-building to counteract
illicit drugs, crime and terrorism, as part of its overall
strategic plan. From 2008 through 2009, the United States
provided approximately $36 million to support UNODC
activities, and we are committed to continuing that support.
The contributions and efforts of UNODC and other
international and regional organizations act as a force
multiplier and complement the work of bilateral programs.

Thank you, Mr. President.
CLINTON