Resolution on Addressing Transnational Organized Crime, Specifically Trafficking in Persons, Drugs and some Illegal (unregulated and unreported) Fishing
24th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF)
Vancouver, Canada January 17-21, 2016
Resolution on Addressing Transnational Organized Crime, Specifically Trafficking in Persons, Drugs and some Illegal (unregulated and unreported) Fishing
APPF24/RES/16
(Sponsored by Indonesia)
The 24th Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum;
Recalling the APPF Resolution on Alternative Policies and New Approaches to Combating Terrorism and other Transnational Organized Crime, and the Resolution on Combating Human Trafficking adopted at the 23rd Annual Meeting of APPF in Quito, and other relevant resolutions adopted by the APPF;
Taking into account the provisions of United Nations (UN) Convention on Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children as well as the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air serve as the instruments in combating organized crime, especially with regard to trafficking in persons;
Recalling the three major international drug control treaties, the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 (as amended in 1972), the Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971) and the UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1988);
Noting significant findings published by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in its 2014 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons elaborating that appropriate legislation to combat the crime is of importance;
Recognize that Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) Fishing has become a serious problem and causes harmful economic, environmental, social and security impacts; in some cases, IUU fishing could be a form of TOC;
Deeply concerned by the fact that UNODC’s 2015 World Drug Report noted that between 162 million and 329 million people, corresponding to between 3.4 per cent and 7.0 per cent of the global population between the ages of 15-64 years, had used an illicit drug at least once in 2013—mainly a substance belonging to the cannabis, opioid, cocaine or amphetamine-type stimulants group;
RESOLVES TO:
- Encourage APPF Member States that have not yet done so to ratify or accede to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and Protocols Thereto, and encourage States parties to the Convention and the Protocols thereto that have not yet done so to harmonize their national legislation in a manner consistent with their obligations thereunder;
- Provide necessary parliamentary means to ensure full compliance of national legislation to the protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children and the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air;
- Support initiatives that aim to enhance public awareness and to provide preventive measures in tackling illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, which is a global problem that threatens ecosystems and livelihoods;
- Enhance international cooperation, including with respect to transparent sharing of data and analysis, to help better understand the drug problem and address the many challenges including the related issues of violence and insecurity;
- Invite APPF Member States on a voluntary basis to share information and best practices and exchange ideas at the annual meeting of the APPF on issues related to transnational organized crimes.
