The ASEM Copenhagen Cooperation Programme on Fighting International Terrorism

During the discussions at the fourth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 4), held in Copenhagen on 23-24 September 2002, Leaders agreed on a series of activities to enhance ASEM Cooperation on international terrorism and transnational organized crime. Short-term activities: Establishment of an ad hoc informal consultative mechanism enabling ASEM Coordinators and Senior Officials to confer expeditiously on significant international events. An ASEM Seminar on Anti-terrorism to be held in 2003 in China before the fifth ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Indonesia in order to discuss how to strengthen the UN's leading role and ASEM cooperation on anti-terrorism. Full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001) and cooperation with the UN Counter Terrorism Committee. Early accession to and implementation of the existing international conventions and protocols on terrorism and transnational organized crime. Support for the finalization of the new United Nations Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism and the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. Cooperation to facilitate the early entry into force of the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime and its related protocols. Medium-term activities: Increase cooperation, by enhancing customs communication networks, combating financial crime and money laundering, and improving air and maritime security, while assuring the smooth flow of goods, capital and people. Mutual efforts in capacity building, enabling ASEM partners to work more closely together in fighting terrorism, implementing all UN counter terrorism Security Council resolutions and international conventions, as well as encouraging ASEM partners to follow the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF). To this end, training courses and seminars could be envisaged. An ASEM symposium on combating underground banking and the need of supervising alternate remittance services in European and Asian countries will be held in Germany in 2003 within the context of the ASEM Anti-Money Laundering Initiative. Enhancing cross-cultural understanding and building mutual confidence by initiating an ASEM dialogue on Cultures and Civilizations. Long-term activities: Advancing human resources development by, inter alia, building on the ASEM-DUO Fellowship Programme, Asia-Europe University Programme and the ASEM Lifelong Learning initiative. Preventing prejudices and building mutual understanding through the efforts of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) in order to promote greater intellectual, cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Creating prerequisites for sustainable economic development through a closer economic partnership building on the ASEM Trade Facilitation Action Plan (TFAP) and the ASEM Investment Promotion Action Plan (IPAP), among others, as well as on the results of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the International Conference on Financing for Development and the WTO Doha Development Agenda. Existing ASEM-initiatives: The above-mentioned activities will build upon and supplement the following, already existing, ASEM initiatives on transnational organized crime and law enforcement-related matters: ASEM Anti-money Laundering initiative ASEM initiative on Trafficking in Women and Children ASEM Ministerial Conference on Cooperation for the Management of Migratory Flows ASEM Symposium on Law Enforcement Organs' Cooperation in Combating Transnational Crime ASEM Anti-corruption initiative ASEM Cooperation in Promoting Awareness in the Young Generation on the Drug Problem Copenhagen, 23 September 2002