Agencies involved in preventing and combating crimes should cooperate more to help make societies safer, a regional conference was told Monday.
"It is unfortunately too often the case that those concerned with justice, security, governance and development work independently from one another," according to HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime's Goodwill Ambassador for the Rule of Law for Southeast Asia.
Fedotov: Teasing out the links
The princess was speaking at the United Nations' High Level Conference on Sustainable Development for Southeast Asian Justice and Public Security Officials in Bangkok.
"At the same time, justice and law enforcement authorities have traditionally not been engaged on social and economic development agendas. Events like this that bring these groups together to consider and discuss the relationship of the rule of law and sustainable development show that times are changing," she said.
The event held at the United Nations Conference Centre brought together national, regional and international experts on crime prevention.
Agencies acting independently hold back solid socio-economic development and the protection of rights in the region, Isra Sunthornvut, secretary-general of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, said. "Sustainable development is not really happening. The reality of our region is that we are continuously fighting different things, and even sometimes we end up fighting each other," Mr Isra said.
UNODC executive director Yury Fedotov said high-level events such as these serve help increase awareness that criminal justice and public security processes are not separate from development, and in fact are closely connected to the conditions necessary for sustainable development.
Thailand Institute of Justice executive director Kittipong Kittayarak told the conference: "There is a misconception in society which thinks that the severity of punishments ensures safety in society. In fact, the reality clearly suggests that it's rather the certainty of punishment which ensures safety."
Transnational crime contributes to conflicts and exposes vulnerability. It involves trafficking drugs, people and wildlife, and is worth US$100 billion a year, the conference was told.
