Da Lat and Hanoi (Viet Nam), 4 October 2024 – Viet Nam and UNODC confirmed their joint commitment and cooperation to prevent and combat all types of crime, including drug trafficking, money laundering and human trafficking. Border management, cybercrime and corruption were some of the topics discussed between Vietnamese authorities and the Regional Representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Masood Karimipour, who visited the country last week.
“We affirm our consistent policy in supporting and promoting multilateralism and international cooperation in solving global issues, contributing to maintaining international peace and security,” said Lieutenant General Le Quoc Hung, Deputy Minister of Public Security. “The cooperative relationship between the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam and UNODC is increasingly tightening and deepening with many specific cooperative activities,” Le Quoc Hung added.
UNODC and the government of Viet Nam continue jointly advancing the country’s border management agenda, particularly under the regional border liaison office (BLO) network mechanism. BLOs connect frontline law enforcement from border towns across the region to detect, intercept, and neutralize threats at the borders.
For years, the BLO network has proactively reduced the movement of illicit drugs across Viet Nam’s borders and sent a powerful message that the region is united and resolute in combating the organized crime groups behind them. In Da Lat last week, high-level representatives from Viet Nam’s Ministry of Public Security and UNODC convened for the fourth national policy dialogue. At the meeting, represented government agencies decided to work towards opening additional BLOs and update the directory across border provinces.
The Ministry of Public Security also confirmed plans to expand efforts into border communities, build public-private partnerships to combat illicit trafficking, and enhance knowledge management within BLOs to adapt to a rapidly changing criminal landscape.
“History shows that we will continue to tackle challenges with innovation, turning obstacles into opportunities for stronger collaboration and stability,” Karimipour said when closing the national policy dialogue. “The future of border governance in Southeast Asia isn’t just being discussed; it’s happening now.”
UNODC and national authorities agreed in continuing to cooperate on other key topics, including law enforcement and criminal justice capacity building to better address technology-enabled crime, human trafficking, money laundering, environmental crimes, crimes against women and children, and corruption, as well as improved prison management.
UNODC’s Karimipour also met with representatives from the Government Inspectorate of Viet Nam as well as the Anti-Corruption Bureau, the International Cooperation Department, and the Legal and Policy Department of the Government of Viet Nam.
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