ROME (ITALPRESS) – The MED event “Rethinking international cooperation against illicit trafficking after COVID-19” was held in virtual format, organized by ISPI in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and IMPACT SMEs, a initiative of Philip Morris International, which saw the participation of renowned members of Italian institutions, global think-tanks and representatives of important Mediterranean countries. At the center of the debate, an analysis of the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has affected and modified the activities of illicit trade and smuggling, on the one hand by imposing unprecedented limits on criminal organizations, but on the other by providing new and unexpected opportunities. of expansion of illicit activities, also allowing new infiltrations into the legal economy in an emergency moment. “The pandemic crisis – underlined the Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs, Benedetto Della Vedova – reminds us that multilateralism is the only way forward. We must strengthen international cooperation between law enforcement and judicial actors. Italy attributes the maximum. importance to international cooperation in the fight against transnational challenges, as evidenced by our commitment to the Palermo Convention on transnational organized crime. Today, through the launch of its Review Mechanism – strongly promoted by Italy – we are particularly committed to so that the convention remains a living instrument, able to adapt to the evolution of the security scenario. Finally, respect for the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms should always guide our actions. Undersecretary Della Vedova – a central component of our efforts to prevent and fight organized crime, even in exceptional circumstances such as the current pandemic “. According to Luis Moreno Ocampo, from 2003 to 2012, first chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and member of the PMI Impact Expert Council, “the COVID 19 pandemic is just the latest example of a global problem that does not have global tools to address it. . Mayors, governors, presidents, and the World Health Organization itself have had debates on actions to be taken while private organizations are developing vaccines. It is time to promote new interactions between the public and private sectors to address global problems such as that represented by vaccines. criminal organizations that manage illegal activities “. Significant points emerged from the analyzes on the illicit trafficking of different categories of products, such as tobacco, weapons and drugs, used to finance other illegal activities in Europe and the Mediterranean. Even on this front, in fact, since the structures and channels typical of illicit trade have suffered prolonged interruptions, organized crime groups have reacted quickly to rethink their logistics and distribution activities by exploiting the great potential of electronic commerce and online markets, expanding the networks of their customers and partners on a global scale. According to Diego Raiteri, Director Illicit Trade Prevention of Philip Morris International, “in the wake of the new operational modalities of organized crime, the urgency of a cooperative approach that involves all the institutional parties concerned and embraces as many sectors as possible is confirmed. collaboration between the public and private sectors is essential in the fight against illegal trade and the criminal networks that benefit from it. The success recorded in recent years in Italy in fighting the illicit trade in tobacco products proves the effectiveness of this approach “. The second part of the debate focused precisely on the need for greater cooperation between the parties, with a focus on international cooperation and treaties that promote global regulation and more effective coordination in the field of combating illicit trafficking. Among these, important examples are the United Nations Convention against Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988 and the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition which entered into force in 2005, but also the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, which entered into force in September 2018 to complement the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). (ITALPRESS). sat / com 30-Mar-21 16:43
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