OSCE officials highlight co-operation by regional and global organizations as key to fighting transnational crime

DOHA, 15 April 2015 – Two senior OSCE officials speaking on Tuesday at the Thirteenth UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, which runs from 12-19 April in Doha, stressed the need for common efforts by regional and global organizations to more effectively combat transnational organized crime.  

"International co-operation is essential in these difficult times, when terrorists and criminals are feeding off each other,” said the Director of the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department, Alexey Lyzhenkov as he addressed the High-level segment of the UN Crime Congress. “The OSCE works very closely with the United Nations. Our joint activities with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) are just one of the most graphic examples."

The OSCE is the world’s largest regional security organization. It collaborates with the UN at large, and more specifically with UNODC, to combat a wide range of criminal and security threats including terrorism, trafficking in human beings and illicit drugs, and cybersecurity. 

“I would like to encourage the development of innovative and pro-active strategies to tackle these crimes,” said the Special Representative and Co-ordinator to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, Ambassador Madina Jarbussynova. “This year, my office is developing a training module on the integration of financial and trafficking investigations and we hope to work with UNODC on this.” 

She spoke at the High-level panel on Tuesday and she will also speak today at a side event for the launch of the UNODC Assessment Toolkit on trafficking for the purpose of organ removal. 

Qatar is hosting the Congress, which brings together governments, policy-makers and experts to exchange their experiences and intensify international co-operation in tackling the threat of transnational organized crime.