THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release December 15, 2000
FACT SHEET
Progress in Efforts to Combat International Crime
Introduction
The spread of international crime since the end of the Cold War is a
significant, complex and growing phenomenon that threatens U.S.
citizens and vital interests both at home and abroad. The same
attributes of globalization -- more open borders, increased volume of
international trade, advances in technology and communications -- that
have promoted important U.S. interests have also facilitated the
dramatic growth of international crime. International crime threatens
the safety, security and prosperity of Americans everywhere, and can
undermine our nation's ability to promote stable democracies and free
markets as well as our ability to preserve global security and
stability.
The Clinton Administration has placed a high priority on efforts to
combat international crime. To meet this challenge, the Administration
implemented a broad U.S. Government attack on international crime
through the issuance in October 1995 of PDD-42, the Presidential
Decision Directive on International Organized Crime. As a result,
leading federal agencies have worked more closely than ever before in
identifying, targeting, investigating, prosecuting and disrupting the
major transnational crime groups.
U.S. intelligence, law enforcement, diplomatic and other key officials
have coordinated their efforts in addressing all facets of this global
problem, including but not limited to drug and arms trafficking, money
laundering, migrant smuggling, trafficking in persons, intellectual
property theft, and foreign official corruption. These efforts, many
of which have been undertaken pursuant to the President's
International Crime Control Strategy released in May 1998, have
resulted in substantial progress against international crime.
Drug Trafficking and Abuse
The United States has implemented a balanced and multifaceted approach
to addressing this urgent problem, including a full range of demand
reduction, treatment and supply reduction programs carried out both
domestically and in cooperation with countries around the globe. By
2007, the Administration hopes to cut illegal drug use and
availability in the United States by 50 percent.
Effective eradication and interdiction programs, typically in
cooperation with international partners, have prevented tons of
illicit drugs from reaching U.S. and other world markets.
Sustained efforts by the United States, working closely with
international partners, have led to the dismantling of several major
international trafficking organizations, including the Cali and
Juvenal organizations in Colombia.
New programs have been implemented to identify and target drug
kingpins and their organizations using economic sanctions pursuant to
the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Foreign
Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. These sanctions block drug
trafficking assets in the United States and shut off U.S. markets and
financial institutions from designated drug traffickers and their
associates.
A $1.3 billion emergency supplemental provided a substantial increase
in U.S. support for Plan Colombia, President Pastrana's comprehensive
effort to combat drug trafficking and to strengthen democracy and the
economy. This package of enhanced U.S. assistance, approved by
Congress in June 2000, will help Colombia to improve illicit drug
interdiction and eradication capabilities, promote alternate crops and
jobs, expand the rule of law, protect human rights and promote the
peace process. In addition, the United States has increased assistance
for other countries in the region, primarily to consolidate
counter-drug gains in the major Andean drug-producing countries and to
ensure that successful law enforcement efforts in Colombia do not
simply drive illicit drug cultivation and production into neighboring
countries.
At the second Summit of the Americas held in Santiago, Chile, in 1998,
34 Presidents, including President Clinton, agreed to create a new
Hemispheric Alliance Against Drugs. The centerpiece of this Alliance
is a pledge to create a Mutual Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) for
hemispheric information sharing and cooperation. The MEM is an
unprecedented initiative designed to catalog the counter-drug
initiatives undertaken by the countries in the hemisphere, share best
practices, and provide a basis for comparing and improving national
actions.
Arms Trafficking
The United States has taken a wide range of steps to address growing
international concern about trafficking in small arms and light
weapons. U.S. efforts have promoted regional security, peace and
reconciliation in regions of conflict and helped to shut down illicit
arms markets that fuel the violence associated with terrorism and
international organized crime.
The United States was a leader in concluding the OAS Inter-American
Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in
Firearms, the first international agreement designed to prevent,
combat, and eradicate illicit trafficking in firearms, ammunition, and
explosives. The United States continues to work toward completion of
the Protocol to Combat the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in
Firearms, Their Parts and Components. This protocol to the recently
adopted United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized
Crime would build on and globalize the standards incorporated in the
precedent-setting OAS Convention.
Money Laundering
The Departments of Treasury and Justice have implemented the
first-ever National Money Laundering Strategy, a comprehensive action
plan to target illicit crime proceeds. Among other measures pursuant
to this strategy, the United States, in cooperation with the
intergovernmental Financial Action Task Force, is identifying,
exposing and sanctioning countries with inadequate money laundering
regimes. Financial institutions from persistently uncooperative states
face penalties including loss of access to the U.S. banking system.
Migrant Smuggling and Trafficking in Persons
Today, the Departments of State and Justice announced the
establishment of a Migrant Smuggling and Trafficking in Persons
Coordination Center pursuant to the goals established in the
President's International Crime Control Strategy.
Each year, hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants are moved by
international smuggling organizations, often in harsh or even inhumane
transit conditions, from their countries of origin to the United
States. The United Nations estimates indicate that migrant smuggling
has grown to a $7 billion per year global criminal industry.
Trafficking in persons, with women and children as the predominant
targets of criminal enterprises, involves at least 700,000 new victims
annually and occurs both within countries and across national borders.
At least 45,000 - 50,000 victims are trafficked to the United States
each year. These victims are typically coerced or lured through fraud
into slavery-like conditions.
This interagency initiative will achieve greater integration and
overall effectiveness in U.S. Government enforcement and other
response actions. The Center will bring together representatives from
the policy, law enforcement, intelligence, and diplomatic communities
in one central location. These personnel will facilitate information
sharing and support the work of U.S. government entities with policy
coordination responsibilities and law enforcement-related task forces
that separately address migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons.
The Center will also promote and assist intensified efforts by foreign
governments and international organizations to combat migrant
smuggling and trafficking in persons.
The Center will help to advance the three primary objectives of the
U.S. Government strategy to counter migrant smuggling and trafficking
in persons: (1) prevent and deter smuggling and trafficking activity;
(2) investigate and prosecute the criminals involved in this activity;
and (3) protect and assist victims as provided in applicable law and
policy.
Earlier initiatives in furtherance of this strategy included the
establishment of the President's Interagency Council on Women to
coordinate the U.S. Government response to trafficking in persons;
passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of
2000 and formation of the Alien Smuggling Task Force by the Department
of Justice.
Intellectual Property Theft
The Department of Justice has launched a major initiative to promote
increased domestic enforcement against violations of intellectual
property rights. This initiative also encourages other nations to
enact appropriate laws protecting intellectual property rights and to
take effective enforcement action. In addition, the Customs Service
and the Federal Bureau of Investigation established an Intellectual
Property Rights Center to coordinate an improved flow of intelligence
information in support of enforcement action by the United States and
other countries.
Foreign Official Corruption
In 1999, Vice President Gore hosted the first global forum to fight
corruption among government officials responsible to uphold the rule
of law. Ninety countries participated in the Global Forum on Fighting
Corruption: Safeguarding Integrity Among Justice and Security
Officials. They agreed on a declaration that calls on governments to
adopt effective anti-corruption measures and to assist each other in
these efforts through mutual evaluation and other means. The
Netherlands will host a follow-up forum in May 2001 and expects over
130 countries to participate.
International Engagement
The United States has significantly increased its engagement abroad to
promote closer international cooperation and greater overall
effectiveness in combating transnational crime. Leading examples
include: creation of the Lyon Group of Experts on International Crime
within the G-8 framework; negotiation of additional mutual legal
assistance and extradition treaties; posting of an increasing number
of new law enforcement officials overseas; establishment of the
International Law Enforcement Academies (ILEAs) to conduct training on
a regional basis; and formation of bilateral mechanisms to promote
closer law enforcement cooperation with key countries, including
China, Mexico, Russia and South Africa.
International Crime Threat Assessment
The Clinton Administration today released a comprehensive
International Crime Threat Assessment addressing all aspects of this
threat to the United States. President Clinton directed preparation of
the assessment as part of the International Crime Control Strategy
approved in May 1998. The new assessment is a major step forward in
achieving a better understanding of the global dimensions of
international crime and the various ways in which it threatens U.S.
interests.
International Crime Control Act
Another initiative undertaken pursuant to the President's
International Crime Control Strategy was the development of the
proposed International Crime Control Act. This comprehensive proposed
legislation, which was introduced in Congress in 1998, would close key
gaps in current federal law, criminalize additional types of harmful
activities, and promote a strengthening of both domestic and foreign
criminal justice systems to respond to the new challenges posed by
crime that crosses international boundaries. The bill would
substantially improve the ability of U.S. law enforcement agencies to
investigate and prosecute international criminals, to seize their
money and assets, to stop them from crossing our borders, and to
prevent them from threatening Americans and our institutions.
UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime
Earlier this week in Palermo, Italy, the United States, together with
many other nations, signed the first multilateral treaty specifically
targeting international organized crime. The United Nations Convention
against Transnational Organized Crime, together with two supplementary
Protocols addressing trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling, was
previously approved by the United Nations General Assembly on November
15, 2000.
Over the past several years, the United States played a leading role
in negotiating the Convention and Protocols with over 120 countries in
Vienna, Austria. The purpose of the Convention is to prevent and
combat international organized crime more effectively by requiring
parties to criminalize certain conduct and providing for enhanced
cooperative mechanisms.
(end text)