Presentation Summary

1. Introduction : 50 years of legal harmonisation and co-operation in a regional framework

2. Main treaties related to international co-operation in criminal matters

    - 1959 European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters and its protocols
    - 1957 European Convention on Extradition and its protocols and the 1977 European Convention on the Suppression of
       Terrorism

3. Main treaties related to specific types of crimes or of assistance

    - 1990 Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime
    - 1997 Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law
    - 1999 Criminal Convention on Corruption
    - 2001 Cyber-crime Convention

4. Mechanisms of enforcement and follow-up : two examples

    - an FATF-style regional body for monitoring anti-laundering norms: PC-R-EV
    - a European regional body for monitoring anti-corruption norms: GRECO

5. Non-treaty based harmonisation of laws: some relevant Council of Europe Recommendations

    - Recommendation N° R (97)13 on the intimidation of witnesses and the rights of the defence
    - Recommendation N° R (01) 21 on Guiding Principles in combating organised crime

6. Best Practice Surveys

    - Witness protection schemes
    - Reversing the burden of proof in confiscation proceedings
    - Electronic surveillance

7. Conclusion
 

Date: Tuesday, 29 January 2002
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Venue: 14/F, Senior Common Room, K.K.Leung Bldg., The University of Hong Kong
 

Dr. Peter Csonka is a Principal Administrative Officer in the Department of Crime Problems, Directorate General of Legal Affairs, Council of Europe.  As Deputy Head of the Economic Crime Division, he supervises all activities at the Council of Europe in the area of legal co-operation related to economic crime.

He joined the Council of Europe in 1991.  Specialising in the field of economic crime, he was Secretary to the Expert Committee on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law, the Expert Committee on Procedural Law Problems connected with Information Technology, the Expert Committee on Witness Protection and is currently Secretary to the Expert Committee on Crime in Cyber-space and Co-Secretary to the Multidisciplinary Group on Corruption.  He is also responsible for money laundering issues.  Since 1993, he has been involved in the Council of Europe co-operation programmes with Central and Eastern European States, and has assisted governments in developing national policies, particularly in the field of money laundering, economic and organised crime.

He graduated (LLM) from the Faculty of Law at Miskolc University (Hungary).  He received a postgraduate diploma from the International University on Comparative Law in Strasbourg (France) in 1990, and from the International Institute of Human Rights, Strasbourg in 1991.