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NEWS RELEASES

May 14, 2002 (11:10 a.m. EDT) No. 51

CANADA RATIFIES UN CONVENTION ON TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME

The Government of Canada today announced that it has ratified the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and two of its optional protocols on the smuggling of migrants and the trafficking in persons. The Convention and its protocols create tools for improved international cooperation to fight organized crime.

"Cooperation at a global level is crucial to combatting organized crime," said Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham. "This Convention contains practical measures for international cooperation, extradition and prosecution that will prevent criminals from hiding behind borders."

The Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime creates obligations on countries to criminalize certain conduct, such as criminal conspiracy, money laundering, corruption and obstruction of justice. The Convention is also designed to improve information sharing and law enforcement cooperation among parties to facilitate the fight against organized crime.

"Organized crime is a transnational problem that requires a global solution," said Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Martin Cauchon. "Since 1995, Canada has been a leader in working with our international partners to build capacity around the world to deal with organized crime. The ratification of the Convention marks an important milestone in our efforts to fight this pervasive problem through a strong network of domestic and international laws."

Organized crime groups are increasingly involved in migrant smuggling. The Protocol Against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air establishes a multilateral system for cooperation and enforcement to prevent migrant smuggling. Parties to the Protocol are required to criminalize migrant smuggling and to counteract the methods employed by smugglers, such as the creation and use of fraudulent documents.

The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, addresses a growing trend in organized crime: the movement of people through some form of deception, coercion or force in order to exploit them, most commonly through sexual exploitation or forced labour. The Protocol provides for cooperation and information sharing in order to combat the problem. It also contains provisions to assist and protect victims. Parties to the Protocol are required to criminalize trafficking in persons.

"The Government of Canada is proud to support these important protocols," said Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Denis Coderre. "With the introduction of our new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, we have the tools we need to punish persons found guilty of trafficking or smuggling of people."

"This important Convention builds on our efforts to give police more tools to fight organized crime. The Convention and its Protocols complement our new organized crime legislation, which came into effect on January 2, 2002," said Solicitor General Lawrence MacAulay.

Canada signed the Convention and its protocols on smuggling and trafficking in Palermo, Italy, on December 14, 2000. Canada played an important role in putting transnational organized crime on the international agenda and in negotiating the Convention and its protocols.

To date, 11 countries have ratified the main Convention, including Canada, and 141 have signed it. The Convention and Protocols will each enter into force after receiving 40 ratifications.

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