10 October 2016 - In the context of the 37th Annual Crime Stoppers International (CSI) Conference held last week in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Alexander MacDonald, President of CSI, and Gillian Murray, UNODC Deputy Director for the Division of Policy Analysis and Public Affairs, on behalf of the UNODC Executive Director, have signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to undertake activities aimed at reducing transnational crime and improving citizen security.
At the signing ceremony, Ms. Murray pointed out that "UNODC's partnership with civil society and international NGOs such as Crime Stoppers will pave the way for a more effective implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda."
For his part, Mr. MacDonald stated that "Increasingly, all areas of criminal activity can be seen to feed into the funding of organized crime, which is multinational in scope. Proceeds of these activities fund the growth of criminal organizations. It is, therefore, valuable to keep in mind the international dimensions of fighting crime as we go about our daily business in our communities." He also highlighted the importance of increasing cooperation with UNODC which "will open new venues of collaboration with international partners in the Americas and other priority regions."
Present also at the ceremony was Faris Al-Rawi, Attorney-General of Trinidad and Tobago, who stressed the importance of inter-regional cooperation and of identifying illicit financial transactions to consistently reduce the impact of transnational organized crime networks.
The 37th Annual CSI Conference aims at strengthening CSI's partnerships with key international organizations and the United Nations System in priority regions of the world. Top international experts participated from 2-6 October in thematic discussions on illicit trade, human trafficking, environment and wildlife and cybercrime.
