UN says threats to global security increasing

Threats to international peace and security from illicit cross-border trafficking in drugs, weapons, terrorists and people have increased as the world has become more interconnected, the UN Security Council said Wednesday.

The council said that in today's globalized society, ``organized criminal groups and networks, better equipped with new information and communications technologies, are becoming diversified and connected in their illicit operations.''

In some cases, it said, this may aggravate threats to international security _ including armed conflicts, terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and small arms, organized crime, piracy, the drug trade and human trafficking.

The presidential statement, approved by all 15 council members, was read at an open council meeting by U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice, the current council president.

``In our interconnected world, our system of collective security is only as strong as the weakest links in the chain,'' Rice said. ``One of those weak links today is the poorly secured borders that are exploited for the illicit transfer of arms and drugs; of materials for nuclear, chemical and biological weapons; of terrorists and their funds; of conflict minerals; and even of human beings _ a modern day form of slavery.''

She said the United States chose the subject of illegal cross-border trafficking for the daylong session because it believes the U.N. system ``could improve its help to states to secure their borders and put in place related intelligence and law enforcement cooperation, (and) customs standards.''

The Security Council asked Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to submit a report in six months with a comprehensive survey and assessment of the U.N.'s work in countering illicit trafficking across borders.

Ban told the council that the U.N. ``is hard at work helping many states'' to build up their capacity to secure their borders against illicit activities.

He cited a U.N. project in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean to strengthen controls at international airports and a global container program although he said only 2 percent of the more than 500 million maritime containers moving around the world every year are currently inspected.

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