MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)

The Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice is expected to strengthen international cooperation against cross-border organised and financial crime, officials said on Sunday.

Michael Schmid, President of Eurojust, said the declaration reflects the need for countries to work more closely as organised crime networks increasingly operate across borders.

“Organised crime has changed and criminals are working seamlessly together across countries and across regions,” Schmid told Aletihad on the sidelines of the Congress.

“We need to do the same in order to be able to prosecute and counter them.”

Schmid said the declaration was an important step towards bringing criminals to justice and recovering assets generated through criminal activity.

The UAE and Eurojust signed a working arrangement on Sunday aimed at strengthening cooperation on operational cases, as well as developing strategies to address broader trends in criminality involving EU member states and the UAE.

The arrangement will allow the two sides to work more closely on criminal prosecutions and on strategies to counter emerging crime trends, Schmid said.

He also highlighted the UAE’s role in advancing international cooperation, particularly in asset recovery and crime prevention.

“I think the UAE can serve as a good role model in this regard for colleagues from all over the world,” he said. 

“By chairing this UNODC Congress and, in general, for the next five years, the United Arab Emirates [has] a very important role as a leader of the global community.”

Strengthening Direct Communication

In an interview with Aletihad, Montenegro’s Supreme Court President Valentina Pavlicic also stressed the importance of more direct communication between judicial institutions to improve cooperation between countries.

Pavlicic said Montenegro and the UAE have been working to strengthen institutional ties, particularly between their judicial systems.

For her, more direct communication between courts and justice institutions is particularly important because delays in exchanging information can affect its usefulness to ongoing cases.

“It's very important how can we base direct communication between the court system and justice system between two countries,” she said.

Pavlicic said the Congress had reinforced her view of the UAE’s role in supporting the rule of law and international cooperation, adding that stronger cooperation would be important in tackling organised and financial crime over the coming years.

“Because in all countries there are network of organised crimes so international systems can deal on the best way,” she said.

Supporting Regional Efforts

Jordan is also seeking to strengthen regional cooperation on cross-border crime, according to Samia Abu Sharif, Head of Jordan’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Unit.

She said Jordan’s Financial Intelligence Unit works with the UAE on initiatives aimed at preventing crime and strengthening cooperation on cross-border cases.

“Our participation here in this important conference ... [is] to support our regional effort in cross border crimes,” Abu Sharif told Aletihad.

She also pointed to cooperation through the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF), where the UAE holds the current presidency.

Abu Sharif said countries in the region face common challenges and that the Congress provides an opportunity to hold bilateral discussions and workshops focused on regional obstacles.

Cooperation against Financial Crime 

The UAE’s role in regional cooperation on combating financial crime was also highlighted by Sergey Teterukov, Executive Secretary of the Eurasian Group (EAG), a Financial Action Task Force-style regional body.

Teterukov said the UAE, which holds observer status with the Eurasian Group, has been actively involved in its projects and provides technical assistance to member countries.

He also highlighted Abu Dhabi’s role in bringing together regional bodies working to combat financial crime.

“Last year we had a first global network secretariat's retreat here in Abu Dhabi, which marked the new era of cooperation between the secretariats of different regional bodies,” he told Aletihad.

Teterukov said the UAE’s position as a financial hub gives it an important role in cooperation against financial crime.“I think the UAE is a really regional hub for expertise and experience,” he said.

The interviews took place on the sidelines of the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, which is being held in Abu Dhabi until October 1.

The opening day on Saturday saw the adoption of the Abu Dhabi Declaration as the Congress’s principal outcome document. 

The declaration sets out priorities for international action on crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law over the next five years, with a focus on translating international commitments into policies, partnerships and practical action.