VIENNA, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) opened its 18th session here on Thursday for discussion of the current international crime situation which was described as "a global crime wave" by Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Antonio Maria Costa.

    Costa said in his opening remarks that "crime has gone global," representing a rise of organized crime. He warned that "Organized crime poses a threat to the security of cities, states, and even entire regions," adding that the work of the commission is more relevant and more pertinent than ever.

    Costa said that drug cartels spread violence in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean, while the collusion between insurgents and criminal groups threatens the stability of West Asia. There were also such criminal activities as the smuggling of weapons, plundering of resources, kidnapping as well as human trafficking in many parts of the world.

    Meanwhile, the gang violence in some cities also became a serious problem, and cyber-crime and economic fraud turned to be important criminal ways to thereat citizens and states, Costa said and he predicted that the economic crisis would deteriorate this situation.

    Costa also said that the UN had already made out blueprints in dealing with this situation, such as the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the United Nations Convention against Corruption.

    However, these conventions were not well carried out, and countries were still facing serious crime problems, according to Costa.

    He urged all countries "to change the way we fight crime and corruption," improving the cooperation with each other. He said that "working together does not mean surrendering sovereignty, it means defending it."

    The economic fraud and identity-related crime as well as penal reform and the reduction of prison overcrowding would be the thematic discussions of the session, according to Costa at the opening press conference on Thursday.

    The session will be closed on April 24.