“I strongly believe that development that excludes the rule of law, crime prevention and criminal justice is far from being sustainable. How can we be truly sustainable when inequality continues to create social tensions? When large segments of the population are still barred from accessing justice ? Transnational organized crime, corruption, drug trafficking and conflicts are impeding development efforts around the world. Women and girls continue to be exposed to violence and discrimination. Clearly, gaps in the justice system and an ineffective rule of law are at the heart of the problem.”
Noting that the advancement of the rule of law is essential for inclusive economic growth and sustainable development, HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol said, “As such, it is no longer sufficient to look at GDP growth rates to determine the economic success of a country. A well-functioning justice system, too, is a necessary variable that ensures the effective delivery of public services and equal access to economic opportunities.”
“A key step to realize that end is the adoption of legal frameworks that emphasize the rights-based approach. We need to ensure that no individual or group is left out and barred from justice. For the poor and marginalized groups in a society, access to justice should be actively promoted and include input on decisions that affect not only their economic well-being, but also the full enjoyment of their civil and political rights. In other words, the legal empowerment of the poor and vulnerable is imperative to create a truly inclusive path forward, as a right to development.”
She noted the seriousness of threats such as transnational organized crime. In Southeast Asia alone, the conservative estimate of illegal financial flows exceeds $90 billion dollars. This massive black market continues to expand and is fueled by the proceeds of transnational organized crime, such as human and drug trafficking alone worth $32 billion dollars. On the global level, only the trade in heroin and cocaine is estimated at over $153 billion dollars.
Corruption is also directly related to transnational organized crime and illegal economic activities, she said. “It serves as a severe impediment to sustainable development as it diverts resources away from poverty eradication, the fight against hunger and the delivery of public services. In conflict and post-conflict societies, government institutions are even more prone to corruption, as a weak rule of law, poor socio-economic conditions, political destabilization and the proliferation of small arms and light weaponry, all provide criminal groups with opportunities to operate more freely and effectively.”
She said, “As globalization and regional economic integration continues ever more rapidly, I believe that crime prevention and criminal justice can no longer be addressed in isolation from other global development issues.”
She also cited the issue of violence against women “as a clear example of why we must mainstream the rule of law in the development agenda. The unfair treatment of women is a problem that cuts across all the boundaries of age, race, culture and geography. Unfortunately, gender-based discrimination and violence – even up to the most extreme form of femicide – are still largely entrenched in various social, cultural and legal traditions. How can any economy truly achieve its maximum potential when half the population is discriminated against in the labor force, and therefore also more susceptible to violence?
She said that the latest UNODC Report entitled “Accounting for Security and Justice in the Post-2015 Development Agenda” has presented for the first time a new innovative way to collect reliable data related to goals, targets and indicators pertaining to the rule of law, justice and security.” Another global event, the 13th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to be held Doha in 2015, will present another opportunity to integrate crime prevention and criminal justice in the wider United Nations agenda.
She said that the new era of the ASEAN Community, in particular, the ASEAN Political and Security Community will promote cooperation in combating transnational crimes and drug trafficking, strengthening the rule of law and legal infrastructure and post-conflict peace-building. “We will need to work on harmonizing laws and regulations on crime prevention and criminal justice, while promoting knowledge and capacity-building in this area.”
She concluded: “Investing in the rule of law, crime prevention and criminal justice is not only essential, but indispensable, to the path of sustainable development. We must recognize that economic prosperity also brings criminal opportunities. Countries that are most susceptible to transnational threats are often the ones that are less equipped to respond to them. Thus, it is a common and shared responsibility of all Member States to turn the vision of an integrated development agenda into a reality. Together, we can build a strong culture of lawfulness so that our future generations can benefit from our endeavor.