Saudi Arabia highlights its efforts in crime, drug control at UN meeting

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has expressed its full support for UN recommendations on crime prevention, criminal justice and international drug control.
The Kingdom endorsed the report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres entitled “Implementation of the Mandates of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Program.”
In particular, it backed the technical cooperation activities of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, submitted by the Secretary-General in his report on “International Cooperation Against the World Drug Problem.”
Addressing the third committee of the UN General Assembly on Thursday, Saudi representative Mohammed bin Issam Khashan said that Saudi Arabia appreciated the report’s inclusion of the importance of each country decisions toward its own drug policies, while respecting the relevant international legal principles and treaties with a human-centered, results-based approach.
He explained that the establishment of an advanced judiciary with complete independence from the executive authorities reflected the Kingdom’s keenness to achieve comprehensive justice.
He said that Saudi Arabia has been working to combat the scourge of drugs, which is fueled by terrorist organizations hosted by neighboring countries, aimed at discouraging the Kingdom’s development efforts.
He added that the Kingdom is proud to be a member of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and was continuing to take all necessary action to fulfil its obligations in combating human trafficking and preventing and combating human organs trafficking.
The Kingdom initiated the establishment of the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology (ETIDAL) in Riyadh in May last year, which is an international center that promotes the values of coexistence and tolerance among peoples.
To promote these, Saudi Arabia had submitted a draft resolution to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in May 2014 entitled “International Cooperation in Criminal Matters,” which was endorsed by the General Assembly.
In the field of bilateral and regional cooperation, the Kingdom has ratified several conventions on combating crime with specialists from the GCC and the Arab League.
Khashan confirmed that the Kingdom also ratified the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) in 2005 and the three protocols to the Convention.
In conclusion, Khashan stressed on the need to respect all countries’ sovereign rights to develop their own legal systems, including the identification of appropriate legal penalties for these heinous crimes, in accordance with their obligations under international law.