UNIS/NAR/880
4 February 2005
UNODC and Ethiopian Authorities Join Forces against Terrorism, Organized Crime and Money-Laundering
VIENNA, 4 February (UN Information Service) -- Senior officials in the Ethiopian ministries of Interior, Justice, Foreign Affairs and from the National Bank of Ethiopia agreed yesterday on a roadmap they believe will better allow Ethiopia to respond to the threats posed by terrorism and organized crime. The roadmap is the product of a legislative workshop organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), from 1 to 3 February in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The new plan identifies the training and capacity-building activities needed by the Ethiopian authorities, including judges and prosecutors. In particular, UNODC has been requested to organize workshops designed to promote measures necessary to combat money-laundering and the financing of terrorism. UNODC has also been requested to facilitate the production of a “bench book” for judges, prosecutors, senior police officers and others; this publication would refer to the relevant universal treaties against terrorism and transnational organized crime, as well as the related implementing domestic legislation.
Ongoing collaboration between the Terrorism Prevention Branch and the Anti-Money-Laundering Unit of UNODC has provided Ethiopian authorities with valuable insights into the global campaign against terrorism and transnational organized crime. UNODC has also provided counsel to Ethiopian officials working to align the Ethiopian penal legislation to the requirements of resolution 1373 (2001), the “counter-terrorism resolution” of the United Nations Security Council, and to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols. UNODC also presented the main features of the United Nations Convention against Corruption at the workshop.
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For more information, contact:
Walter Gehr
Terrorism Prevention Branch, UNODC
Tel: (+43-1) 26060 – 4512
Email: walter.gehr@unodc.org
