Inp.polri.go.id - Labuan Bajo. In a momentous gathering of regional significance, Police General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, the Chief of the Indonesian National Police (INP), spearheaded the commencement of the 17th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) held in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). This notable event unfolded on Monday, with the Chief of INP stepping in to represent President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who was concurrently engaged in an official state visit to an African nation. Assuming dual roles as both the Chief of INP and the Chair of AMMTC, he underlined the paramount objective of the event, namely fostering cooperation amongst ASEAN nations to curb the escalation of transnational criminal activities. In emphasizing this, he highlighted the essential role of coordination and collaboration as foundational pillars in the ongoing struggle against transational crimes. "Cooperation and synchronized endeavors stand as imperative requisites to confront the challenges of transnational crimes, which present themselves as a shared adversary," he stated on Monday (21/8/23) at the Hotel Meruorah's Ballroom in Labuan Bajo, NTT. Opening his remarks, he conveyed President Jokowi's sincere regrets to the assembled delegates for his inability to personally participate in the AMMTC proceedings. He extended President Jokowi's warm regards to the delegates present, establishing a tangible connection despite the physical distance. Amidst the prevailing climate of global unpredictability, nations across the world grapple with multifaceted uncertainties. Despite these circumstances, ASEAN countries remain poised as potential epicenters of global economic growth, as signified by this year's ASEAN chairmanship theme: 'ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth.' In alignment with this perspective, he accentuated Indonesia's recognition of stability and security as the bedrock for nurturing the positive growth trajectories within the region. "In line with President Joko Widodo's assertion, the attainment of prosperity is an elusive goal without the foundation of stability," he said. Furthermore, he underscored the progressively intricate nature of contemporary transnational crimes, pinpointing them as bona fide menaces to global stability and security. "In direct response to this escalating complexity, we've convened a series of working group meetings, including the 23rd SOMTC session, and other meetings under the AMMTC. These dialogues have facilitated the exchange of insights on prevailing transnational crime trends, encompassing aspects like technology misuse in criminal activities, hotspots for such activities, emerging modus operandi designed to evade law enforcement, and collaborative ventures among distinct transnational criminal factions," he explained. In a resolute stance, he affirmed Indonesia's and the INP's unwavering commitment to fortify cooperation via diverse forums and mechanisms. These mechanisms encompass avenues such as the exchange of information, technology assimilation, capacity augmentation, inter-agency police collaboration, inter-country transfer of suspects, joint investigative efforts, mutual legal assistance, and extradition. "We constantly appraise the effectiveness of regulations, frameworks, law enforcement capacities, and ongoing partnerships to ensure their relevancy and responsiveness to the ever-evolving landscape of transnational crimes," he emphasized. Hence, the AMMTC emerged as a strategic nexus for the exchange of viewpoints, blueprinting strategies, framing policies, and identifying tangible initiatives to counter transnational crimes within the region, he added. "During this meeting, we will make adjustments to ongoing collaboration frameworks to optimize the effectiveness of transnational crime suppression, enhance protection for witnesses and victims of such crimes, and increase public awareness about the risks of transnational crimes," he said. The 17th AMMTC is adopting four draft declarations that elucidate comprehensive strategies to combat transnational crimes: 1. Labuan Bajo Declaration for Accelerating Law Enforcement Processes in Combating Cross-Border Crimes. 2. ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening Cooperation to Safeguard Witnesses and Victims of Cross-Border Crimes and Terrorism. 3. ASEAN Declaration on Developing Early Warning and Regional Rapid Response Capacities to Prevent and Counter Radicalization and Extremism-Based Violence. 4. ASEAN Declaration on Combatting Arms Smuggling. Furthermore, ten transnational crime issues will be discussed during the event, including drug trafficking, terrorism, cybercrime, arms smuggling, wildlife and timber trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, international economic crime, maritime piracy, and human smuggling. "Fortified by the spirit of collaboration and equality, we hold an unwavering belief that this gathering will conduce to the region's security, peace, and prosperity," he concluded. (ta/hn/nm)