The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), in partnership with the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ), co-hosted a Stakeholders’ Meeting at TIJ HQs in Bangkok, on 19- 21 October, to discuss the new UNICRI-TIJ joint research project entitled “Countering Emerging Threats and Challenges of Transnational Organized Crime from Thailand’s Perspective in the Context of the ASEAN Community”.
The purpose of the research is to assess how Thailand, in the context of the country’s regional economic integration into the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), is preparing to address the challenges posed by transnational organized crime to justice and security.
The outcome of the research will be published in a research report that will serve to inform legal reform, policy making and law enforcement activities with a view to better counter transnational organized crime in the ASEAN region.
Substantive inputs were gathered during the meeting from a variety of relevant experts and professionals. Such inputs will serve as the foundation for further development of the research.
Dr. Kittipong Kittayarak, the Executive Director of TIJ, gave opening remarks with the two Research Directors, Dr. Cindy J. Smith (Director of UNICRI) and Mrs. Santanee Ditsayabut (Prosecutor, Project Director at TIJ), acting as chairs of the meeting.
Participants included representatives from Thai Government Agencies, academia, non-governmental organizations, press, the private sector, as well as international organizations and foreign and ASEAN Embassies.