On the Participation in the UNGA Discussion on Fighting Against Organized Crime

On October 9, 2013 Mrs.Irina Velichko, Deputy Director for Global Policy and Humanitarian Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, made a speech during the discussion in the Third Committee of the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The representative of Belarus stated that our country has made significant efforts in fighting against transnational organized crime, informed the participants of the discussion on the national priorities in the field of combating transnational organized crime, in particular pursuant to the national programme of the Republic of Belarus for fighting crime and corruption for period 2013-2015.

Mrs.Velichko called on the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to scale up technical and consultative assistance to Member States in fighting new manifestations of transnational crime such as cybercrime, illicit trafficking in cultural property, and others.

Belarusian diplomat highly appreciated practical results of cooperation between Belarus and UNODC in the field of combating trafficking in persons. Mrs.Irina Velichko marked that the resolution Belarus intends to submit at the 68th session of the General Assembly, will be focused on improving the efforts of the international community in the global fight against this crime.

The representative of Belarus drew attention to the rapidly increasing trafficking in persons for the purpose of removal of organs, tissues and cells. In this regard, Belarus proposed the international community to consider the possibility of elaborating international legal instrument to combat this type of crime.

Belarus in its capacity as Chair of the Commonwealth of Independent States in 2013, informed the UN Member States on the joint efforts of the CIS in fighting terrorism, drugs and crime.