Opening Address by the Minister of Justice at the European Regional Conference of Interpol (Opnunarræða dómsmálaráðherra á ráðstefnu Interpol
Opening Address by the Minister of Justice at the European Regional Conference of Interpol, 17th May 2000
Mr Kendall, Secretary-General of Interpol, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a special pleasure and honour for me, on behalf of the Government of Iceland, to welcome you today to this 29th European Regional Conference of Interpol. This is the first time that such a large meeting of high-ranking law-enforcement officials from all the countries of Europe has been held in Iceland, and I should like to bid you a special welcome to the country. The timing of the Conference coincides with our celebration of 1000 years of Christianity in Iceland this summer and the first sailing to North America by our vikings forebears 1000 years ago.
It is an appropriate time for Iceland to host such a large conference on international police co-operation exactly at a time when international co-operation is becoming more important part of the work of the Icelandic police. It is clear to everyone that co-operation is a key factor at a time when international crime is on the increase and is spreading a to large number of countries, or even whole continents, at a time. Interpol has been the forum for the longest-standing co-operation of this type that we have had in Iceland, and has produced good results for us. We have also enjoyed very fruitful co-operation with the other Nordic countries, which have developed a highly successful joint system of law enforcement and customs surveillance.
A great development has taken place in international police work since Interpol was established, and Interpol itself has been the pioneering force in this development. We have experienced the effects of the changes in the methods used by criminals, who are becoming more organised and technically sophisticated. In spite of immense work and financial resources put into the battle against drug crime, it is still an uphill battle. It is fundamental that we join forces to fight the drug problem. It is a threat to the well being of our societies and we will not tolerate that.
New technical developments such as electronic commerce have opened up new ways of disposing of the profits of crime. Another type of crime that the police in Iceland have dealt with is the publication and distribution of illegal material on the Internet. Finally, a major type of crime that countries have to fight in close co-operation is the illegal movement of people across borders, which is masterminded by criminal organisations. The past few years have seen an unnerving growth in this type of crime, which is now believed to be one of the most profitable fields of criminal activity, with an even greater turnover than drug-trafficking. Closely related to it is the most appolling type of crime in the world today: the international trade in human beings, particularly children, for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It is often very difficult for the police to tackle this problem, which demands close international collaboration. Thus, police actions directed at the investigation of crime in several countries at once are becoming more and more important, and Interpol has certainly proved its value in co-ordinating such actions.
To open the way for international police co-operation, it is essential that governments should work towards the harmonisation of legislation, particularly in the field of Criminal Law, make agreements on mutual legal assistance and simplify the procedures open to the police to collaborate with police forces in other states. Our close co-operation with other Nordic countries has been quite successful and could be used a an example of a good model for other nations. The Nordic countries have also emphasised on crime prevention which is not the least a fundamental factor in the fight against crimes. This fact has also been discussed by the European States, they realise the importance of the issue and we must focus more on juvenile crimes.
All these matters are dealt with by my ministry, and I have made every effort to have them given full priority. For example, Iceland has become a member of international conventions aimed at eliminating drug trafficking and money laundering.
Co-operation in law-enforcement in Europe has taken on greater significance in Iceland recently, as it has in other European countries. This is natural in terms of Iceland's participation in the Schengen Agreement, and the government's decision to open negotiations with Europol. In fact, both Interpol and the Icelandic authorities are now starting negotiations with Europol.
I have high hopes of the collaboration that Europol aims at, which will be yet another step towards joint action by Europe's law- enforcement authorities against organised crime. We must also bear in mind how important it is for the countries of Europe to be in close contact with the rest of the world in these matters, and to be willing to co-operate with other national units. Iceland is in the special position of being in the middle of the Atlantic at the boundary between two continents: Europe and North America. I had the opportunity to meet the Attorney General of the United States, Janet Reno, a few months ago and we have established promising co-operation programmes between the Icelandic and United States police. I am very interested in extending this co-operation further. This is also in line with Icelandic government policy of maintaining good relations with foreign police authorities everywhere in the world, though regional co-operation is of course a key factor.
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am very happy that you could take your time to visit us in Iceland. I sincerely hope that you will enjoy the staying here and that you will have a nice weather. I can't promise you anything in those matters, but if you like surprises I am sure that you will have it here in Iceland.
Finally, I hope that this will be a productive conference. I now declare the 29th European Regional Conference of Interpol open.