Ambassador Khaddour: Syria is a party to nearly all international conventions concerned with the prevention of organized crime

Vienna, SANA- Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations in Vienna, Ambassador Hasan Khaddour, said that Syria is a party to nearly all international conventions concerned with the prevention of organized crime as it committed to promote its national laws in accordance with international treaties.

“In that context, Syria has issued a set of laws aimed at combating the organized crime, most recent of which is Law No. 14 of 2021 Prohibiting Human Trafficking as well as setting up a national follow-up committee on implementation of this law,” Khaddour said yesterday in a statement at the 11th session of Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

He referred that the national committee has drawn up a national plan (2020-2022) which develops a comprehensive policy to prevent from human trafficking , including raising awareness, protecting victims, providing effective assistance to victims and facilitating the prosecution and international cooperation as well.

“Syria attaches great importance to close cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and greatly values excreted efforts to provide technical support to Member States. Thus, Syria looks forward to the office’s engagement and cooperation in light of the war it was subjected to and renews its invitation to the UN Office to undertake field visit to assess scope of needs and discuss means of activating mutual cooperation.” Khaddour added.

The Ambassador went on saying that unilateral coercive measures imposed on Syria have caused further waves of population displacements to refugee camps in neighboring countries, followed by growing phenomena of human trafficking and smuggling of migrants, especially children and also trafficking in human organs and more, which call for setting up a serious and immediate international plan of action to protect Syrians living in these camps and help them return home besides removing illegitimate coercive measures.

Kinda ALMahmoud/ Mazen Eyon