Today's Edition
NEW YORK CITY (ALETIHAD)
The United Arab Emirates issued a statement at a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Transnational Organised Crime. His Excellency Mohamed Abushahab, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of the UAE to the United Nations (UN) in New York, delivered this critical address, highlighting the growing challenges and new threats posed by transnational organised crime globally.
Abushahab pointed out the destabilising effects of transnational organised crime, which disproportionately harms women and girls, undermines ecological protections, and hampers development efforts. The Ambassador underlined that combatting this form of crime is essential for achieving the New Agenda for Peace.
Highlighting innovative efforts like the early warning mechanism established between Ecuador and Colombia, the UAE representative stressed the importance of regional and bilateral initiatives in tackling transnational organised crime.
The UAE’s statement at the UNSC meeting presented three key recommendations for addressing transnational organised crime:
Confronting Illicit Financial Flows
The UAE underscored the need to tackle the illicit financial flows and proceeds of crime that bolster transnational organised criminal networks.
The Ambassador highlighted the staggering figures, such as the estimated 2.7% of global GDP laundered by criminals and the annual cost of bribery reaching up to $2 trillion. He detailed the UAE’s proactive measures, including enhancing its Financial Intelligence Unit and expanding bilateral Mutual Legal Assistance treaties.
Multifaceted, Gender-Responsive Approach
Recognising the unique vulnerabilities of women and girls to organised crime, the UAE called for a gender-responsive approach.
Women, constituting 65% of trafficking victims globally and experiencing extreme violence at a much higher rate than men, must be central in the strategies to counter organised crime. The UAE emphasised the importance of increasing women’s representation at all levels of criminal justice and law enforcement, and adopting survivor-centred approaches to address these crimes effectively.
Leveraging New Technologies
The UAE urged the international community to harness the potential of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), in combatting transnational organised crime.
Acknowledging the dual nature of technology as both a tool for criminals and a potential solution, the Ambassador cited the UAE’s initiatives like the establishment of a global centre for AI and cyber technology in Dubai.
He also mentioned the UNODC Drugs Monitoring Platform as an example of innovative approaches to gathering real-time data on drug trafficking trends.
Ambassador Abushahab highlighted the alarming statistic that organised crime, from 2015 to 2021, was responsible for as many annual deaths as all armed conflicts combined.
The UAE urged enhancing international cooperation in criminal matters and building more resilient, stable, and peaceful societies, free from the scourge of transnational organised crime.
