These days mark the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC), a milestone of multilateralism, which opened for signature in Palermo in December 2000. Its founding vision was the need for more effective tools for international law enforcement and judicial cooperation in the fight against transnational organised crime.
It is thanks to this agreement that, today, no state battles this terrible transnational scourge alone. Countries can count on each other to share expertise and national experience. Indeed, because of the Palermo Convention, which 190 of 193 UN member states joined, the international community has risen, in a significant way, to the challenge of fighting organised crime in all its manifestations.
This is in part due to innovative tools that support the activity of the courts and police forces. Some examples include joint investigative teams, controlled deliveries, electronic surveillance, undercover operations, witness protection, liaison magistrates and officials, special investigative techniques, specialised training, capacity building and technical assistance.
We owe this extraordinary result to the vision of Judge Giovanni Falcone who, seeing the daily effort and efficiency of our national justice and law enforcement systems, understood that only the widest possible degree of international cooperation could inflict a strong enough blow to defeat the mafia groups. Indeed, these groups are notorious for taking advantage of the differences in laws and procedures among states to pursue their interests. Just a few weeks prior to his murder, Falcone attended the first session of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Vienna. At that summit, he asked with conviction for a global effort against organised crime.
This past October, the Conference of the Parties to the UNTOC approved the ‘Falcone Resolution’, presented by Italy, which recognises his pioneering role as well as his “work and sacrifice [which] paved the way for the adoption of the Convention”.
Regarding the economic aspect of organised crime, member states were invited to strengthen their cooperation to confiscate the proceeds derived from criminal activity, including money laundering and corruption, so that such proceeds can be used for the social good.
Just as it was 20 years ago, upholding the Palermo Convention today requires maximum effort. Its enduring framework does not relieve us of the duty to continue to work to address critical problems and to make our current legal and operational tools even more effective.
Over the years, the Palermo Convention has extended its reach, proving effective against new global challenges such as human trafficking, migrant smuggling and arms trafficking. It remains without question that the convention can be used against serious and emerging new forms of crime, particularly those related to the use of the internet.
Judge Giovanni Falcone understood that only the widest possible degree of international cooperation could defeat the mafia
To effectively reach this goal, we must use the most advanced technologies, especially regarding evidence collection, to overcome obstacles to investigation.
It’s our job to make the best use of the lessons learned and all that has been accomplished in the last 20 years, adapting existing tools to an ever-changing world, a world in which crime also adapts to assume new and insidious forms.
We have seen examples of this, of course, in recent months, as criminals have attempted to take advantage of the pandemic to advance their aims, only to be swiftly confronted and contained with the utmost professionalism.
Indeed, as a matter of priority, we must intensify our efforts to fight these emerging transnational threats.
We must also solidify our information-sharing efforts against terrorism and incitement, recruitment and radicalisation on the internet.
In March, Italy will participate in the 14th session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, in Kyoto. At that summit, countries will share a number of initiatives that touch upon the principles of the Palermo Convention, looking toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
As we look forward to that summit, on the 20th anniversary of the Palermo Convention, Italy seeks a renewed reflection and commitment by states’ parties to strengthening international cooperation in the fight against organised crime in all its forms.
As for us, we can assure you that we will continue, at the international level, to fight unceasingly against organised crime. In this fight, Italy remains on the front lines.
“Men pass, ideas remain and continue to walk on the legs of other men,” Falcone used to say. Today, we affirm with pride that his ideas continue to walk on the legs of women and men from 190 countries in the world.
Luigi Di Maio, Luciana Lamorgese and Alfonso Bonafede are Italy’s Foreign Minister, Interior Minister and Justice Minister.