Councillor Rita Theodorou Superman participated in a debate at the Conference on the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime Organized Crime (Palermo Convention) in Naples
Councillor Rita Theodorou Superman participated yesterday in a discussion on the progress of the revision of the Palermo Convention, as part of the proceedings of the High Level Conference of the Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly (MPA), entitled "The Palermo Convention: The future of the fight against transnational organized crime", in Naples.
Ms. Superman highlighted the need to recognize the weaknesses of the Convention in order to adopt new targeted legislation to strengthen and shield its implementation. Citing her personal experiences from her fifteen years of service as Head of the Cyprus Police Anti-Trafficking Bureau, Ms. Superman referred to gaps identified in the implementation of the Convention that need to be corrected. In particular, she referred to the need for specialised training of frontline police officers for the timely and accurate identification of victims of trafficking in persons and the immediate activation of support and protection mechanisms. This, she added, would ensure the necessary evidence for adequate substantiation of the prosecution of perpetrators and their successful conviction, noting that training is also needed in the judicial sector.
Ms Superman also underlined the need to strengthen the protection mechanisms for victims, including psychological support and social integration, which would act as both a motivation and a treatment. She further highlighted the need for effective cooperation and coordination between national law enforcement authorities to ensure that organised criminal elements do not escape detection and apprehension. Cooperation in the exchange of information on suspicious financial activities, on the whereabouts of criminal elements under investigation and on the freezing of assets obtained from illegal activities is necessary to dismantle these rings, she said.
With regard to the trafficking of persons via the Internet, Ms Superman pointed out that the circuits exploit the veil of anonymity to move undisturbed and stressed the need for law enforcement authorities to acquire a similar level of technological knowledge and capabilities and for legislation to strengthen their investigative means and powers in this area.
As parliamentarians, she stressed, we have an important role to play and a duty to promote, at national level, the necessary legislation to implement the Palermo Convention as effectively as possible and, at the same time, to contribute to the process of its revision and upgrading at international level.
The work of the Conference concluded with the adoption of a Final Declaration in which, inter alia, the CMC reaffirms its determination to fight transnational organised crime as a top priority and to formulate common and coherent strategies, calling on the participating parliaments to contribute, through their legislative work, to the strengthening of the Palermo Convention.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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