This report, produced by the SPMU, provides an overview of the workshop that took place in Vienna on 9-11 April 2008. The main objective of the workshop was to study modalities for effective legal co-operation in the field of extradition and mutual legal assistance in freezing/confiscation of instrumentalities and proceeds of crime, covered by the UNTOC.
The agenda of the workshop was designed to ensure a practical orientation of the discussions. It included general sessions on international provisions of the UN crime conventions. The formal presentations, which were made by UN experts, emphasized the added value of the provisions related to the promotion of international co-operation. The UN presentations also noted best practices in the area of co-operation and offered demonstrations of various UNODC tools.
Over 119 experts from 35 countries registered for the workshop using the Policing Online Information System (POLIS). Europol, Interpol, Eurojust, and the European Commission also sent representatives. The workshop’s general sessions were conducted in the six working languages of the OSCE.
Each plenary session was followed by working group sessions on a variety of themes. The small group sessions promoted an exchange of information between the UN experts and the participants. Most of the participants had the opportunity to provide substantive information and highlight difficulties encountered in the areas under discussion (extradition/mutual legal assistance). The participants actively exchanged views on legal and practical aspects arising from casework.