Stop-Traffic Listserver Archive: [Stop-traffic] News: UN Protoc

Subject: [Stop-traffic] News: UN Protocol on Trafficking signed
From: Walsh, Maureen (Maureen.Walsh@mail.house.gov)
Date: Fri Dec 15 2000 - 17:05:44 EST

  U.N. Anti-Mob Treaty Signed

                                      Updated 3:50 PM ET December 15, 2000

  By FRANCES D'EMILIO, Associated Press Writer

  PALERMO, Sicily (AP) - More than 120 countries had signed a U.N. treaty
  featuring sweeping measures to lift financial secrecy and confiscate
mobsters' wealth
  by Friday's close of an international conference on organized crime,
organizers said.

  Among those signing were Switzerland, Monaco, Seychelles, Cyprus and
  Liechtenstein, whose bank secrecy practices have often frustrated
investigators
  following the trail of laundered mob profits.

  Wrapping up a four-day United Nations conference in Palermo, a front line
in Italy's
  battle against organized crime, the U.N.'s anti-crime czar, Pino Arlacchi,
said the
  gathering's success exceeded expectations.

  "In the fight against the Mafia, we have created a common language and the
same
  legal tools around the world," Arlacchi said.

  Sending delegates to Palermo were 148 countries. By Friday afternoon, 121
nations
  signed the treaty, which had been approved last month in New York by the
U.N.
  General Assembly.

  Arlacchi said he expected national legislatures to swiftly ratify the
treaty.

  Treaty-signers agreed to let investigators examine banking records in
cases of
  suspected crimes. They also agreed to outlaw bank accounts opened
anonymously or
  under false names, and must make it a crime to obstruct justice.

  Italy's success in making Mafia association a crime, leading to the
jailing of thousands
  of mobsters in the last two decades, inspired a similar measure in the
treaty to make
  criminal association against the law in other nations.

  Since gangs increasingly operate across borders, global recognition of
association as
  a crime could ease extradition, experts said.

  Treaty-signers also pledged to make corruption a crime and protect
witnesses who
  testify against mobsters.

  Two protocols accompanying the treaty had more limited backing in Palermo.
Eighty
  nations signed a protocol to combat trafficking in prostitutes and child
labor, while 79
  by mid-Friday had signed the second protocol on smuggling of immigrants.

  Among the countries not signing those accords were China and Morocco - who
have
  seen their people emigrate in large numbers, often illegally.

  The protocols make trafficking in human beings a crime and guarantee that
those
  being smuggled or traded in prostitution rings cannot be prosecuted.

  Earlier this year, U.N. negotiators tried unsuccessfully to nail down a
third protocol to
  battle manufacturers and dealers of illegal arms.

  Among those pushing for renewed efforts to crack down on firearms was U.S.
  undersecretary of state for global affairs, Frank Loy. The United States
signed the
  treaty and the two protocols on Wednesday.

  Arlacchi said negotiations on firearms should start next year.

PALERMO, Sicily (AP) - More than 120 countries had signed a U.N. treaty
featuring sweeping measures to lift financial secrecy and confiscate mobsters' wealth
by Friday's close of an international conference on organized crime, organizers said.

Among those signing were Switzerland, Monaco, Seychelles, Cyprus and
Liechtenstein, whose bank secrecy practices have often frustrated investigators
following the trail of laundered mob profits.

Wrapping up a four-day United Nations conference in Palermo, a front line in Italy's
battle against organized crime, the U.N.'s anti-crime czar, Pino Arlacchi, said the
gathering's success exceeded expectations.

"In the fight against the Mafia, we have created a common language and the same
legal tools around the world," Arlacchi said.

Sending delegates to Palermo were 148 countries. By Friday afternoon, 121 nations
signed the treaty, which had been approved last month in New York by the U.N.
General Assembly.

Arlacchi said he expected national legislatures to swiftly ratify the treaty.

Treaty-signers agreed to let investigators examine banking records in cases of
suspected crimes. They also agreed to outlaw bank accounts opened anonymously or
under false names, and must make it a crime to obstruct justice.

Italy's success in making Mafia association a crime, leading to the jailing of thousands
of mobsters in the last two decades, inspired a similar measure in the treaty to make
criminal association against the law in other nations.

Since gangs increasingly operate across borders, global recognition of association as
a crime could ease extradition, experts said.

Treaty-signers also pledged to make corruption a crime and protect witnesses who
testify against mobsters.

Two protocols accompanying the treaty had more limited backing in Palermo. Eighty
nations signed a protocol to combat trafficking in prostitutes and child labor, while 79
by mid-Friday had signed the second protocol on smuggling of immigrants.

Among the countries not signing those accords were China and Morocco - who have
seen their people emigrate in large numbers, often illegally.

The protocols make trafficking in human beings a crime and guarantee that those
being smuggled or traded in prostitution rings cannot be prosecuted.

Earlier this year, U.N. negotiators tried unsuccessfully to nail down a third protocol to
battle manufacturers and dealers of illegal arms.

Among those pushing for renewed efforts to crack down on firearms was U.S.
undersecretary of state for global affairs, Frank Loy. The United States signed the
treaty and the two protocols on Wednesday.

Arlacchi said negotiations on firearms should start next year.