UNODC and the Federal Prosecutor´s Office of Brazil intensify efforts to combat transnational organized crime

13 December 2010 - The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Federal Prosecutor´s Office of Brazil, signed today (13), a memorandum of understanding that seeks to achieve more effective punishment of transnational organized crime. The document, signed by the UNODC Regional Representative for Brazil and Southern Cone, Bo Mathiasen, and the General Attorney, Roberto Monteiro Gurgel dos Santos, establishes mutual cooperation, exchange of experiences and the development of actions to strengthen punishment of transnational organized crime, through the implementation of international instruments set in the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocols.

The document also provides research, studies and tests on the Judiciary, through questionnaires to assess and improve the performance, ethics and independence of the judiciary, in addition to training of judges, according international standards. "The contribution of the United Nations is to fulfill the conventions and treaties. This memorandum of understanding is an important milestone for this partnership between UNODC and the Federal Prosecutor´s Office," said the General Attorney, Roberto dos Santos Monteiro Gurgel.

According to Bo Mathiasen, international cooperation is essential to the fight against transnational organized crime. "States need to acquire and use in their favor the modern tools that facilitate the operations of organized crime, giving effectiveness to international cooperation. To deal with organized crime, is essential to establish coordinated and more efficient actions through a high level of organization and communication among countries", he said.The memorandum was signed during the opening of the seminar "Strengthening International Cooperation and Prosecution of Organized Crime - discussing problems and possibilities", which gathers, in Brasilia, national and international experts from Portugal, the United States and Colombia, as well as the Senior Interregional Advisor of the Division for Tretay Affairs from UNODC headquarters in Vienna, Sandra Valle.

The seminar, organized by the Office for International Legal Cooperation and the General Secretariat of the Federal Prosecutor´s Office, with the support of UNODC for Brazil and the Southern Cone, is held in the Royal Tulip Hotel and ends on Thursday, 15. For more information on the workshop "Strengthening International Cooperation and Prosecution of Organized Crime" visit the Federal Prosecutor´s Office visit the website of the Federal Prosecutor´s Office.

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