OSCE hosts meeting on organized crime

ZAGREB, 22 November 1999 -- The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe will host a working meeting on the OSCE Organized Crime Initiative in South-East Europe in Zagreb, 23-24 November 1999.

In his address at the recent OSCE Summit in Istanbul, OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek of Norway, stressed the importance of tackling the crime of trafficking in human beings. He asked the OSCE Mission to Croatia to take the lead in establishing a task force to address the issue of organized crime.

As the problem of organized crime has grown in South-East Europe, its damaging effects have included undermining the development of democratic states in the countries of transition. The fruits of organized crime have given powerful forces the economic strength and political influence that have enabled them to undermine the rule of law which is the foundation of a democratic society. Cross-border criminal activity is increasingly becoming a security concern also for well-established democracies in Western Europe.

The primary responsibility for combating organized crime rests with the authorities at the national level. However, given the international scale of organized crime, it is necessary for added weight to be put behind national law enforcement agencies. An effective strategy must embrace all of the relevant countries in the region. In the case of trafficking human beings, both the countries of origin and the countries of destination must be included in a co-operative effort at the political and operational levels.

The working meeting in Zagreb will discuss a comprehensive regional strategy against organized crime, with a view to the implementation of a task force on trafficking in South-East Europe. This is envisaged as the first of several task forces dealing with the different types of organized crime in the region.

The OSCE will present the results of this working level meeting to the governments of the region, with a view to gaining their active involvement and hope that Croatia will be an important partner in a constructive contribution to the Stability Pact.