Both parties reached the agreement on Tuesday during the 17th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC), held in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) from August 20 to 23.
The Head of the Indonesian National Police's International Relations Division, Police Inspector General Krishna Murti, noted in a statement on Wednesday that the work plan encompasses five priority issues: terrorism, cybercrimes, drug trafficking, sea piracy, and human trafficking.
On terrorism, both parties agree to provide mutual support and assistance in efforts to combat arms smuggling, prevent terror acts, and eradicate the related ideologies that can pose threats to peace and stability in the region.
The work plan also encourages ASEAN and Japan to further intensify their collaboration and formulate a collective strategy to defend against cyberattacks by protecting critical infrastructures.
Furthermore, both parties are committed to enhancing cooperation in preventing drug trafficking and taking strong legal actions against perpetrators. ASEAN and Japan agree that illicit drugs can harm their youth and disrupt social structures.
Concerning sea piracy, the fourth priority issue, both parties agreed to make significant efforts to work together to protect their trade activities and maintain maritime security. They will focus on building law enforcement capacity and intensifying maritime cooperation.
Meanwhile, on the final priority issue, both parties will collaborate to eliminate human trafficking cases by implementing preventive measures and providing protection to victims.
Murti explained that the work plan resulted from the implementation of the ASEAN-Japan joint declaration on combating terrorism and transnational crime, agreed upon during the ASEAN-Japan Summit on November 12, 2014, in Myanmar.
ASEAN and Japan also discussed the work plan during the 19th Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) + Japan held in Yogyakarta in June of this year.
The work plan serves as evidence of the joint commitment of ASEAN and Japan to creating a peaceful, safe, and stable region for future generations.
Murti said that both parties will monitor the implementation of the work plan through various meetings, such as SOMTC and AMMTC, with the hope of ensuring that the work plan will be genuinely implemented through concrete actions.
Related news: 17th AMMTC produces four declarations on combating cross-border crimes
Related news: Cooperation within ASEAN key to eradicate transnational crimes: Polri
Translator: Fransiska M, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Anton Santoso
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
