UN Office of Drugs and Crime Chair: Brenna Egan Advanced Committee Improvements to the International Arrest Warrant System

Introduction: The Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is a United Nations office that was established in 1997 as the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention by combining the United Nations International Drug Control Program (UNDCP) and the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Division in the United Nations Office at Vienna. It is a member of the United Nations Development Group and was renamed the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in 2002. UNODC was established to assist the UN in better addressing a coordinated, comprehensive response to the interrelated issues of illicit trafficking in and abuse of drugs, crime prevention and criminal justice, international terrorism, and political corruption. These goals are pursued through three primary functions: research, guidance and support to governments in the adoption and implementation of various crime-, drug-, terrorism-, and corruption-related conventions, treaties and protocols, as well as technical/financial assistance to said governments to face their respective situations and challenges in these fields. While UNODC has an extensive list of priorities and roles the 2015 ACMUN will direct discussion around the themes of: ● Combating Narco-terrorism ● Improvements to the International Arrest Warrant system

It is the role of UNODC to form consensus on the most efficient courses of action, and offer suggestions and cooperation with other international bodies in order to achieve their goals.

How does the International Arrest Warrant system work today?

An notice is an international alert used by police to communicate information about crimes, criminals and threats to their counterparts around the world. It is a globally recognized warrant issued on behalf of a state demanding the arrest of an individual or group. This form of international arrest is authorized by Interpol, the world’s largest recognizable police force. They are circulated by Interpol to all member states at the request of a member or an authorized international entity. The information disseminated via notices concerns individuals wanted for serious crimes, missing persons, unidentified bodies, possible threats, prison escapes and criminals’ modi operandi . There are eight types, seven of which are color-coded by their function: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Black, Orange, and Purple. The most well-known notice is the Red Notice which is "the closest instrument to an international arrest warrant in use today." An eighth Special Notice is issued at the request of the United Nations Security Council. Interpol publishes notices either on its own initiative, or based on requests from its member states' National Central Bureaus (NCBs) or authorized international entities such as the United Nations and the International Criminal Court. All notices are published on Interpol's secure website and extracts of notices may also be published on Interpol's public website if the requesting entity agrees. Interpol can only publish a notice that adheres to all the proper legal conditions. For example, a notice will not be published if it violates Interpol's constitution, which forbids the organization from undertaking activities of a political, military, religious or racial character. Interpol can refuse to publish a notice that it considers inadvisable or a potential risk. Notices can be issued in any of the four official languages of Interpol: English, French, Spanish, and . Opposition to the System The system has been under much criticism by many international bodies. Fair Trials International, a UK based organization, argues that notices such as the red notice can and have been used by oppression regimes with the purpose of political abuse. They argued that the system facilitates the arrest of peaceful activists, exiled political opponents and refugees from various corners of the globe. It is argued that the system is ineffective as the review system operates after the red notice has already been dispersed across the globe, and in some instances published red notices will stay in place despite extradition in recognizing the political nature of a notice that has been sent out. A report titled, “Strengthening respect for human rights; strengthening Interpol,” goes even further in arguing that the advisory board that deals with complaints about red notices are unsuited to manage these complaints as they lack procedural guarantees that should be in place. Many argue a separate body should be established which would include a separate complaint handling body that ensures reasoned decisions. The issue with this is that it slows down the system significantly to the point that many countries feel as though it would make it easier for many dangerous criminals to avoid the justice system all together. Therefore the tradeoff comes at finding a middle ground to ensure that claims are both valid and released as quickly as possible as to not endanger the innocent.

Problems that Should be Addressed 1. Should International Arrest Warrants only be used for the most serious crimes? 2. What countries/organization should be allowed to interfere? 3. Should countries have the jurisdiction to withhold criminals? 4. Can countries interrogate/punish criminals from different countries? 5. How can we change the current system such that it is more accountable and transparent 6. How can we ensure that claims made on the system are valid and not political in nature 7. In what ways can the system be adjusted to maintain its effectiveness but ensure its reliability. Issues: 1. The overall health of the society is threatened. 2. Many innocent lives are in danger. 3. Crimes of all sorts (low-level and high-level) are a part of the discussion in the international arrest warrants. People argue that this is a waste of resources. 4. Develop policies condemning countries authority on what they should do when a criminal resides within their territory 5. How can we be certain that the oversight system is accountable 6. What changes to the current system can be made such that a claim can be reviewed for complaints before it is issued. 7. How can we ensure that countries feel comfortable using the system and feel confident in its validity.