UNODC jointly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece, organized a regional conference on transnational organized crime - particularly migrant smugging by sea - from 26 to 29 January 2010 in Athens, Greece. The purpose of the conference was to strengthen and foster law enforcement cooperation and thereby enhance the capacities of authorities responsible for combating the smuggling of migrants by sea in the Mediterranean region.
55 participants from 17 countries and 5 regional and international organizations. The participants, experienced practitioners from law enforcement and prosecution working in the field of investigating and prosecution of migrant smuggling and international cooperation in criminal justice matters, shared their experience and best practices on:
The participants recognised that migrant smuggling is a transnational crime that violates the sovereignty of source, transit and destination countries. Smugglers put the life, physical and emotional integrity of migrants at risks and violate their basic human rights. In addition to necessary law enforcement actions to address this inherently dangerous activity, responses to migrant smuggling by sea must aim to address the root causes of the phenomenon. Responses must be holistic and innovative, and compatible with poverty alleviation and development initiatives as well as awareness raising efforts.
With these concerns in mind, the participants agreed to promote the strengthening of cooperative networks against migrant smuggling among their colleagues in the criminal justice sector, both in their own countries and in countries of partnership.
The participants recommended that:
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