Belarus Submits Statement to UN on Problems in International Criminal Cooperation

During the 34th session of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Vienna, Belarus’s Permanent Representative to international organizations in Vienna, Andrei Dapkyunas, presented on behalf of Belarus, Venezuela, Iran, China, Nicaragua, and Russia a joint statement following the thematic forum titled "Current Challenges in International Criminal Cooperation and Justice." This was reported by BELTA, citing the press service of Belarus’s foreign policy department.

The thematic forum and the joint statement were initiated by Belarus. The authors emphasized the importance of effectively implementing existing multilateral agreements and expressed serious concern over problems hindering the development of effective international cooperation in criminal justice and the enforcement of international legal instruments.

“One of the main issues impeding effective cooperation,” the Foreign Ministry noted, “is the use of unilateral coercive measures. In the context of the commission’s thematic mandate, it was highlighted that such measures obstruct the efficient investigation of transnational criminal cases. National law enforcement agencies encounter difficulties in exchanging operational data, gathering evidence, conducting joint operations, returning assets, and cooperating on extraditions. These discriminatory measures undermine the implementation of relevant UN conventions, cooperation agreements, and mutual assistance treaties in criminal matters. They weaken the legal foundation of international criminal cooperation and, in effect, allow many criminals to evade justice.”

Like-minded states stressed that, amidst the changing international geopolitical landscape, unilateral coercive measures could provoke confrontation with other countries, divert the international community’s attention from the fight against transnational crime, and consequently, undermine global efforts to combat criminal activities.

The authors of the statement called for resisting the politicization of international anti-crime cooperation, including extradition and mutual legal assistance, as well as activities of anti-crime organizations. Partner countries proposed that relevant international organizations and the international community at large should carefully monitor, assess, and actively respond to the negative impacts of unilateral coercive measures on international efforts to fight crime.