Statement by the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, Ambassador Sérgio França Danese, on transnational organized crime, growing challenges and new threats - December 7th, 2023
I thank Ecuador for organizing this open debate and the Secretary-General, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (ODC), Ms. Melani Cammett and Ms. Victoria Nyanjura for their insightful briefings.
Mr. President,
States are primarily responsible for the fight against transnational organized crime. It is therefore up to national authorities to address this issue through their domestic criminal justice systems, with the assistance of the international cooperation mechanisms already in place.
The Security Council must follow its mandate, which is strictly limited to maintaining international peace and security, according to the UN Charter. We are witnessing how difficult it sometimes is for this Council to fulfil its mandate. Domestic law and international and regional conventions provide the appropriate and legitimate tools to address organized crime. In the past years, we have witnessed attempts to expand the Council’s interpretation of what constitutes a threat to peace and security. The encroachment by the Security Council on issues that have been traditionally dealt with in other forums may not only might be in disagreement with the spirit of the Charter of the United Nations, but also have unintended consequences, including the reducing the international community’s capacity in addressing them.
Mr. President,
The fight against transnational organized crime demands a cooperative and coordinated approach. Brazil is a party to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, as well as a strong supporter of INTERPOL. In the same spirit, last month was signed in Brasília the treaty that creates the Police Community of the Americas (AMERIPOL) — a mechanism for cooperation and exchange of information between the police and law enforcement authorities of the Americas.
Brazil is strongly committed to promoting international cooperation to counter transnational organized crime through well-established mechanisms and forums. In order to strengthen law enforcement and judicial systems at the national, regional and international levels, those forums should be valued and reinforced. We support the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other relevant entities in their efforts to promote international cooperation. Such efforts, aimed at enhancing national law enforcement capacities, are crucial for reducing the gaps through which organized crime grows.
Mr. President,
Transnational organized crime poses a threat to the fabric of our societies. In its many forms, criminal groups engage in a wide range of illicit activities that may weaken institutions and State authority, fuelling violence, corruption and deepening structural inequalities. Repressive measures and law enforcement alone do not offer enough tools to respond to those challenges.
In the elaboration of their policies to counter organized criminal groups, States should adopt comprehensive approaches that are aimed at tackling the root causes of criminal activities, such as socioeconomic disparities. Ensuring respect for human rights must be at the core of any such strategy. In that vein, Brazil reaffirms its commitment to a multidimensional response to the challenges posed by transnational organized crime.
Moreover, there is a need to focus on the movement of money that fuels organized criminal activities. In Brazil, policies devised to counter transnational organized crime give high priority to combating money laundering, addressing corruption and disrupting criminal networks.
Mr. President,
Brazil remains concerned by attempts to associate transnational organized crime with terrorism, as there are no automatic or intrinsic linkages between those two phenomena. The relationship between them may and actually does arise under specific circumstances, but it is not universal. Despite the importance of combating both, it is clear that they are different problems requiring different remedies. Aiming for distinct goals, terrorist groups and criminal organizations usually operate through their own methods. While terrorism is fuelled by political and ideological considerations, transnational organized crime is motivated by the expectation of financial gain.
Finally, Mr. President, let me reiterate that Brazil remains committed to its international obligations and stands ready to continue to work in close collaboration with our partners to combat transnational organized crime in the appropriate forums and through the appropriate mechanisms.
Thank you.