The General Assembly,
 
      Recalling its resolution 49/159 of 23 December 1994, in which it
approved the Naples Political Declaration and Global Action Plan against
Organized Transnational Crime, and bearing in mind the report of the Ninth
United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of
Offenders, held at Cairo from 29 April to 8 May 1995,
 
      Taking into account Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/27 of 24
July 1996, entitled "Implementation of the Naples Political Declaration and
Global Action Plan against Organized Transnational Crime", in which the
Council decided, inter alia, that the Commission on Crime Prevention and
Criminal Justice should establish an in-sessional open-ended working group at
its sixth session, for the purpose, inter alia, of considering the possibility
of elaborating a convention or conventions against organized transnational
crime and identifying elements that could be included therein,
 
      Recalling also the Buenos Aires Declaration on Prevention and Control of
Organized Transnational Crime, adopted by the Regional Ministerial Workshop on
Follow-up to the Naples Political Declaration and Global Action Plan against
Organized Transnational Crime, held at Buenos Aires from 27 to 30 November
1995,
 
      Deeply disturbed by the increasingly alarming threat posed by organized
transnational crime to the rule of law, stability and security of States,
which calls for an urgent and appropriate response,
 
      Concerned about the growing number and variety of crimes committed by
organized criminal groups,
 
      Convinced of the need for closer coordination and cooperation among
States in combating organized transnational crime, and bearing in mind the
role that could be played by the United Nations and regional and subregional
organizations in this respect,
 
      Considering that there is a need to examine the question of the
elaboration of an international convention against organized transnational
crime,
 
      Taking note of the proposed draft United Nations framework convention
against organized crime introduced by Poland,
 
      Bearing in mind the discussion on the question of the elaboration of an
international convention against organized transnational crime which took
place in the Third Committee during the fifty-first session of the General
Assembly,
 
      1.    Requests the Secretary-General to invite all States to submit
their views on the question of the elaboration of an international convention
against organized transnational crime, including, inter alia, their comments
on the proposed draft United Nations framework convention, not later than two
months before the commencement of the sixth session of the Commission on Crime
Prevention and Criminal Justice;
 
      2.    Requests the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
to consider, as a matter of priority, the question of the elaboration of an
international convention against organized transnational crime, taking into
account the views of all States on this matter, with a view to finalizing its
work on this question as soon as possible;
 
      3.    Further requests the Commission to report through the Economic and
Social Council to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session on the
results of its work on this question;
 
      4.    Decides to continue its consideration of this question at its
fifty- second session.