DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
P R E S S  R E L E A S E

SFA-AGR-292-08

RP AND UN TERRORISM PREVENTION BRANCH DISCUSS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF UN COUNTER-TERRORISM TREATIES
 

28 April 2008—The Terrorism Prevention Branch (TPB) of the Vienna-based UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has reiterated its commitment to extend technical assistance to the Philippines, during a meeting between the Branch and the Philippine Delegation to the 17th Session of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) held in Vienna, Austria, last 14-18 April.

 

The TPB offered to extend assistance to RP, upon request, in areas such as the harmonization of Philippine laws with the universal counter-terrorism instruments, international legal cooperation against terrorism, international best practices and tools, as well as models for mutual legal assistance and extradition requests. The TPB and the Philippine delegation also discussed the possibility of jointly hosting similar training activities on a regional scale.

 

The Philippines has been a recipient of TPB technical assistance since 2005, chiefly in the form of trainings and workshops for prosecutors, law enforcers, legislative staff and other national experts regarding the implementation of the existing thirteen (13) universal Conventions and Protocols against terrorism developed under the auspices of the UN and its specialized agencies.

 

The TPB provides legal advice to States on the ratification and implementation of the counter-terrorism instruments, in compliance with the principles of rule of law. Specific assistance covers the alignment of national penal codes with international legal instruments, training criminal justice officials on new laws on engaging in international cooperation in criminal matters relating to terrorism.

 

The Philippine side was led by Department of Justice Assistant Secretary for Legislation Teresita R. Domingo and Minister Meynardo LB Montealegre and Second Secretary Josel F. Ignacio of the Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office in Vienna (UNOV).

 

The Philippines is a State Party to the 12 instruments developed between 1963 and 1999. It is already a signatory to the Nuclear Terrorism Convention. END

 

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Gary