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15. October 2018

STATEMENT DELIVERED BY MR BHEKI CELE, MINISTER OF POLICE, SOUTH AFRICA, AT THE 9TH SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION AGAINST TRANSNATIONAL ORGANISED CRIME, 15 OCTOBER 2018, VIENNA, AUSTRIA

AGENDA ITEM 1 (A): OPENING SESSION

Mr President

Mr Yury FEDETOV, Executive Secretary of the UNODC

Ministers and Heads of Delegations

Excellencies   

Distinguished delegates,

We extend our congratulations to you, Mr President, and your Bureau on your election to lead this Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC). We have confidence that you and your team will steer the deliberations to an effective and fruitful conclusion.

South Africa associates itself with the statements delivered on behalf of the African Group and Group of 77 and China respectively.

Mr President

Transnational organised crime is harmful to the social and economic well-being of our nations. It poses existential danger to our political and governance institutions and undermines our security and rule of law. With the advances in the use and availability of technology, criminal networks manifest their activities across national boundaries and jurisdictions - forever seeking new markets, routes and contraband.

The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, and its Protocols therefore provides us with a framework to address these global challenges. Accordingly, this 9th session of the Conference of the Parties affords us the opportunity to appraise ourselves of progress made both nationally and internationally in the implementation of the Conventions and its protocols.

In this regard, we commend the various Working Groups in facilitating the implementation of the objectives of the Conventions, focussing in areas such as curbing the trafficking in persons, especially women and children; smuggling of migrants; illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms.

Mr President

As we remain seized with these challenges, we must intensify our efforts in tackling new and emerging forms of crime such as wild-life crime including rhino-poaching, illicit mining, kidnapping for ransom and cybercrime among others.

We welcome and support on-going inter-governmental discussions within the United Nations context which seek to forge consensus on how best to respond to the challenges posed by cybercrime. It is South Africa’s hope that these deliberations will lead to an adoption of a legally-binding global instrument on cybercrime.

In our national capacity we have developed the National Cybersecurity Policy Framework (NCPF) and plans are advanced for our National Parliament to adopt a Cyber Crimes Act. It is our belief that this step will go a long way in bolstering our fight against cybercrime.

Mr President

My delegation believes that the implementation of UNTOC and its Protocols cannot be achieved if we do not place great emphasis on technical assistance and international cooperation. Our country frequently embarks on training and technical assistance initiatives to ensure that there is smooth cooperation when the need to render or receive mutual legal assistance arises.

As evident by the signing of extradition and mutual legal assistance agreements with a number of countries, the recent one being with the United Arab Emirates, South Africa is determined to foster international cooperation to curb transnational organised crime. In addition to being party to the EU Convention on Extradition, South Africa continues to negotiate with other countries with a view to concluding more extradition and mutual legal assistance agreements with other countries.   We urge the international community to look at simplifying international cooperation procedures to ensure speedy finalisation of extradition and mutual legal assistance matters.

In conclusion, Mr President, South Africa supports the establishment of the Review Mechanism of the UNTOC and its Protocols. However, to ensure its sustainability, predictability and credibility, this process must be funded from the regular budget of the UNODC.

I thank you

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