16 October 2012 - "With enhanced international cooperation, we can help citizens everywhere in their often bitter struggle for safety dignity in their homes and communities" Secretary-General Kofi Annan (New York, United Nations, 2004)
Organized crime groups operate outside the law of nation States, respect no jurisdictional borders, and capitalize on the current international state of affairs. Organized crime groups know they can exploit border restrictions to shelter their operations, escape prosecution and secret their criminal wealth. For nation States, however, there is an inherent obstacle between preserving State sovereignty and successful international cooperation.
Global problems require global solutions. Like transnational organized crime, the efforts to combat transnational organized crime must cross borders. This involves international cooperation and mutual assistance in responding to organized crime. At an operational level there must be effective coordination, a knowledgeable group of practitioners, and a desire to move the law forward. Towards this end, two new manuals have been developed with the view to strengthen international cooperation on mutual legal assistance, strengthening nation States' capacity to extradite organized criminals and to confiscate the profits of their criminal activities.
These manuals are practical guides targeted at legal and law-enforcement practitioners. Aligned with the provisions of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and providing a step-by-step framework for practitioners, these manuals encourage mutual legal assistance between nation States. The overarching goal of these complimentary manuals is to facilitate the extradition of organized criminals and to support the complex process of the recovery of criminal assets.
Manual on Mutual Legal Assistance and Extradition, Arabic (introduction) - Chinese - English - French - Russian - Spanish
Manual on International Cooperation for the Purposes of Confiscation of Proceeds of Crime, English - French (introduction) - Spanish (introduction)
Further information on international cooperation
United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols Thereto