National Assembly  15th October 2009

IPU Debate

on

Cooperation and shared responsibility in the global fight against organised crime, in particular drug trafficking, illegal arms sales, human trafficking and cross-border terrorism

Mr Speaker,

The theme of today's debate is indeed of crucial international importance. Most countries of the world suffer from these atrocities, such as murder, rape, robbery, drugs, human trafficking and others.

South Africa, in particular, and sadly, ranks somewhere at the top of the list of countries affected by these evils.

The question raised in the theme of this debate certainly deserves but one straight answer: YES.

There can be no doubt that all countries in the world are to unite in the war against this international cancer.

I have been fortunate to attend practically all IPU meetings for the past sixteen years and I can assure you that all countries in the world are as concerned about crime as we are. Some of these issues have been debated at length on several occasions where I was present in countries such as China, Cuba, Chile, Indonesia, the Philippines and others.

Not only was crime openly berated, but specifically amongst members sitting in committees and privately. The message is clear: The whole world is concerned about crime and that something constructive should be done to win that war in the shortest possible time.

The international crime cancer will, however, not be healed unless there is cooperation and shared responsibility by all countries in the world in the global fight against organised crime.

What is to be done is for the IPU to resolve formally that cooperation and shared responsibility in the global fight against organised crime is an urgent and international priority.

And, secondly, that the IPU must in cooperation with all its member states, urgently devise specific strategies on how the international war against crime is to be fought.

Once those IPU strategies are on the table, all countries in the world should join to execute them in order to win the international war against the global crime cancer.

I thank you.

Contact: Koos van der Merwe, 082 444 4944.