1 Measures against transnational organized crimes

(1) Countermeasures taken by the U.N.
  The U.N., which covers various fields of activity, plays important roles to reduce the loss of human resources and materials due to crimes and their impact on social and economic development, as well as to promote the implementation of the U.N. standards and rules on criminal justice.
  The U.N. General Assembly adopted the “U.N. Convention against Transnational Organized Crime” in 2000. This Convention requires each country to criminalize participation in criminal activities by a transnational organized crime group, money laundering, and bribery and corruption, and also provides the regulations for confiscation of crime proceeds and international cooperation to that end, extradition of offenders involved in organized crimes, mutual legal aid, and protection of witnesses. In Japan, the conclusion of this Convention was approved by the Diet in May 2003, but has not been realized as the related domestic acts have not been enacted.
  The “Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children” (Human Trafficking Protocol), the “Protocol Against Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air” (Smuggling Protocol), and the “Protocol Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunition” (Firearms Protocol), which supplement the Convention, were adopted by the U.N. General Assembly by 2001. The conclusion of the Human Trafficking Protocol and the Smuggling Protocol was approved by the Diet on June 8, 2005 (Both Protocols have not been concluded as the U.N. Convention against Transnational Organized Crime has not yet been concluded). As a national collateral act, the “Act for Partial Amendment to the Penal Code, etc. (Act No. 66 of 2005),” which contains the establishment of punishment for human trafficking, etc., was enacted on June 16 and was partially put into force on July 12, 2005.
(2) Countermeasures taken by Lyon Group
  The Senior Experts Group on Transnational Organized Crime (Lyon Group) of G8 (Japan, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Russia, Canada, and United States of America) was established at the Group of Seven summit in 1995. At the Lyon Summit held in 1996, the Lyon Group presented the “Senior Experts Group Recommendations to Combat Transnational Organized Crime Efficiently (40 Recommendations of the Lyon Group),” recommending various measures to deter transnational organized crimes efficiently. Discussions also have been held on the investigation methods and regulations to cope with transnational organized crimes, such as smuggling/trafficking firearms, drugs and humans, cybercrime, money laundering, corruption including bribery, etc.