International co-operation in combating organized crime : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

The General Assembly,

Recalling the responsibility assumed by the United Nations in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice,

Concerned that organized crime has increased in many parts of the world and has become more transnational in character, leading, in particular, to the spread of such negative phenomena as violence, terrorism, corruption and illegal trade in narcotic drugs and, in general, undermining the development process, impairing the quality of life and threatening human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Recalling Economic and Social Council resolution 1989/70 of 24 May 1989 and General Assembly resolution 44/71 of 8 December 1989,

Taking note of resolution 15 entitled "Organized crime" and resolution 24 entitled "Prevention and control of organized crime", adopted by the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, held at Havana from 27 August to 7 September 1990,

Recalling General Assembly resolution S-17/2 of 23 February 1990,

Convinced of the need to strengthen international co-operation in combating organized crime,

Noting with appreciation that the Eighth Congress explored the possibilities and ways of strengthening further international co-operation in combating organized crime and adopted the Guidelines for the prevention and control of organized crime, as contained in the annex to its resolution 24, as well as model treaties relating to it,

1.         Urges Member States to give favourable consideration to the implementation of the Guidelines for the prevention and control of organized crime at both national and international levels;

2.         Invites Member States to make available to the Secretary-General, on request, the provisions of their legislation relating to money laundering, the tracing, monitoring and forfeiture of the proceeds of crime and the monitoring of large-scale cash transactions and other measures so that they may be made available to Member States desiring to enact or further develop legislation in these fields;

3.         Requests the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control to consider ways of strengthening international co-operation in combating organized crime, taking due account of the opinions of Governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations, as well as opinions expressed at and decisions taken by the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, and to submit its views, through the Economic and Social Council, to the General Assembly at its forty-seventh session;

4.         Requests the Secretary-General to include activities of the United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice programme, related to organized crime, in the United Nations System-Wide Action Plan on Drug Abuse Control;

5.         Calls upon Member States, international organizations and interested non-governmental organizations to co-operate with the United Nations in organizing the International Seminar on Organized Crime Control, to be held in Moscow in October 1991.