OSCE supports interagency co-operation to fight transnational organized crime

VIENNA, 12 December 2007 - Enhancing co-operation between police, prosecutors and judges in organized crime investigations is the focus of an expert meeting that began in Vienna today. More than 50 experts will participate in the meeting, which is part of an OSCE project in which Albanian and Montenegrin authorities and practitioners have played an essential role.

The meeting is the last in a series organized by the OSCE's Strategic Police Matters Unit in close co-operation with the OSCE field operations in Albania and Montenegro as well as with the authorities and experts from those countries. The initiative, funded with contributions from Spain, aimed to synchronize the efforts of Albania and Montenegro's criminal justice sectors to combat transnational trafficking in human beings and organized crime.

Ambassador Carlos Sanchez de Boado, Head of Spain's Permanent Mission to the OSCE, said: "The fight against trans-national organized crime is the responsibility of all. It is particularly important to enable institutions to establish effective links, which is why the OSCE is committed to working with partners to foster this co-ordination and enhance the overall effectiveness of the organized crime response in the OSCE region. In this project, the partnership with Albania and Montenegro has been the key of success."

Experts at the Vienna meeting will present a final project report, including good practices and recommendations for improvements across the criminal justice sector. The report will be made available to all OSCE participating States.

Kevin Carty, Senior Police Adviser to the OSCE Secretary General said: "If an investigation against organized crime is to be successful, the different elements of the criminal justice system must work cohesively together. The links and channels among police, prosecutors and judges are instrumental, and this work between Albania and Montenegro could serve as a model for other such efforts in the OSCE region."