The Deputy Chief Justice, Richard Buteera, has said that Uganda is committed to promoting international cooperation and technical assistance in preventing transnational organised crime, corruption, terrorism, and transboundary crime.

“By working together with the global community, Uganda aims at strengthening its law enforcement capacities, enhancing international cooperation, and combating transnational organised crimes effectively,” he asserted.

Buteera made the remarks today, April 13, 2024, during the 33rd session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Vienna, Austria.

The event is organised by Uganda and supported by Kenya, Sudan and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Section for Africa and the Middle East.

The session which ends on May 17, 2024, is dubbed, “promoting international cooperation and technical assistance to prevent and address organized crime, corruption, terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and other forms of crime, including in the areas of extradition, mutual legal assistance and asset recovery”.

Buteera noted that the provision of Uganda’s tailored technical assistance in criminal matters forms critical support mechanisms for all countries to prevent and address organized crime, corruption, terrorism as well as other forms of crime.

DCJ is optimistic that strengthening of the national legislation and policies is equally important for addressing the emerging criminal trends.

He disclosed that Uganda has benefited from the support of the UNODC Field Office in Kampala and the UNODC Regional Office in Nairobi which coordinate and promote regional cooperation in the region.

Buteera, however, said that it is important for UNODC to continue to pay attention to areas where major challenges remain at the national level including training on emerging trends of crime, upgrading nationwide data collection and management tools, establishment of platforms for inter-agency cooperation, and protection of victims and prosecution of offenders.

The challenges to international cooperation, according to the DCJ, are differences in implementation mechanisms of international instruments by United Nations member states, lack of harmonised key domestic legal instruments in the fight against crime, the continued use of the cash-based economy in many jurisdictions including Uganda and the lack of clarity on the regulation of cryptocurrencies in different jurisdictions.

According to Buteera, addressing the challenges requires a multi-faceted approach that involves strengthening institutional capacities, enhancing transparency and accountability mechanisms, promoting anti-corruption initiatives, investing in training programs for law enforcement personnel, fostering partnerships with civil society organizations, and raising awareness about legal rights among the general public.

The DCJ further emphasised the need to ensure that international frameworks and legislative bodies adapt swiftly to rapid advancements in technology ensuring that legal frameworks can promptly identify and address emerging challenges, especially in the context of combating organised crime and terrorism.