On 17 January 2024, the Department of ASEAN Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) co-organised a briefing on the challenges of transnational crime, drugs, non-traditional security trends, and related initiatives in Southeast Asia. The briefing was chaired by Ms. Usana Berananda, Director-General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs, and Mr. Jeremy Douglas, Regional Representative of UNODC for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
During the briefing, UNODC experts provided information on managing transnational crime challenges, such as trafficking in persons, money laundering, cybercrime, drugs, and corruption through regional cooperation. Emphasis was given to capacity building, along with the development of instruments and tools to effectively counter these security threats, both traditional and non-traditional.
Furthermore, Mr. Bolbongse Vangphaen, Deputy Director-General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs, provided updates on “The ASEAN Border Management Cooperation Roadmap” which Thailand will be the drafter as endorsed by the 26th ASEAN Directors-General of Immigration Departments and Heads of Consular Affairs Meeting (DGICM) in Phuket in August 2023. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has initiated consultations with relevant Thai agencies and will soon consult with other concerned stakeholders before circulating the draft to ASEAN Member States for consideration to ensure the draft Roadmap is holistic and comprehensive. The Deputy Director-General also emphasized that national efforts on border security must be done in tandem with regional cooperation to ensure an ASEAN region that is safer, more secure, and connected.
