VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia will encourage Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO) members to include illegal wildlife trade (IWT) as transnational organized crime (TOC) at the organization's 61st Annual Session, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly stated.

The meeting will be held at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center (BNDCC), Bali, on October 15-20, 2023.

"AALCO is an important moment for us to encourage Asian-African countries to have the same view on various issues," he told the press after opening the "Kompolnas Public Consultation with Law Practitioners and Mass Media Practitioners" event here on Tuesday.

The minister also drew attention to the fact that several countries did not share the same view as Indonesia regarding the subject of including illegal fishing as a TOC, environmental issues, and asset recovery.

According to Laoly, shared views established in this forum also have the potential to be applied by Asian and African countries in other international forums, especially to fight discriminatory regulations implemented by developed countries, for instance, on the palm oil issue.

"Issues like that, both in the environment and others, we share (them) with Asian and African member countries of AALCO, so that we can use this as a common platform in dealing with other international interests," he remarked.

Earlier, at a media gathering on the preparation of the 61st Annual Session of the AALCO here on Monday, Laoly stated that the government would push for illegal fishing to be included as a TOC at the organization's 61st Annual Session.

"This is important to be conveyed because economic losses from illegal fishing are very large," he emphasized.

The 61st Annual Session of the AALCO will be attended by 47 AALCO member countries, 44 observer countries, 24 observer organizations, two observer authorities, and two permanent observer countries.

The meeting will discuss several issues that include the violation of international law in Palestine, sustainable development, international trade and investment law, and maritime law.

(Antara News)