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tral repository of existing legislative and regulatory measures and information on organizationalstructures designed to combat organized transnational crime; submit concrete proposalsto the Commission for approval, with a view to developing practical models andguidelines for substantive and procedural legislation in order to assist, in particular, developingcountries and countries with economies in transition in reviewing and evaluatingtheir legislation and in planning and undertaking reforms, taking into account existing practicesand cultural, legal and social traditions; provide advisory services and technical assistanceto requesting Member States in needs assessment, capacity-building and training, aswell as in the implementation of the Naples Political Declaration and Global Action Plan;and join efforts with other international, global and regional organizations and mechanismsthat had played an active role in combating money-laundering so as to reinforce commonregulatory and enforcement strategies in that area and to assist requesting States in assessingtheir needs in treaty development and the development of criminal justice infrastructureand human resources.Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 49/159 and Economic and Social Council resolution1995/11, the Regional Ministerial Workshop on Follow-up to the Naples PoliticalDeclaration and Global Action Plan against Organized Transnational Crime was held inBuenos Aires from 27 to 30 November 1995. The aim of the Workshop was to examineways to strengthen and improve the capacity of the countries of Latin America and theCaribbean to respond to organized transnational crime and to improve the mechanisms ofregional and multilateral cooperation to combat it. The Workshop called for increased technicalcooperation, strategic coordination, legislative action and other measures to combatorganized transnational crime in all its manifestations. To promote action at both the nationaland the regional level to achieve those aims, it adopted the Buenos Aires Declaration onPrevention and Control of Organized Transnational Crime (E/CN.15/1996/2/Add.1, annex).In preparation for the fifth session of the Commission on Crime Prevention andCriminal Justice, from 21 to 31 May 1996, the Secretariat prepared a report on the basisof information provided by Member States, which reflected the favourable disposition ofmost responding States towards the need for an international framework for cooperationagainst organized transnational crime (E/CN.15/1996/2, chap. V, paras. 67-83). However,the understanding during the discussions at the fifth session of the Commission was thatthe form such a framework could take remained open. The options included a single conventionon organized transnational crime, separate conventions on specific issues, a modelconvention, a framework convention, a set of principles and a draft declaration for adoptionby the General Assembly. In that connection, it was pointed out that more work wasneeded on identifying the specific focus of the framework, its elements and the measuresenvisaged. 18 The views of Governments on relevant issues were considered in more detailby an open-ended intergovernmental working group established during the session in accordancewith Economic and Social Council resolution 1995/11. 19On the recommendation of the Commission at its fifth session, the Economic andSocial Council adopted resolution 1996/27 of 24 July 1996, in which it took note of theBuenos Aires Declaration on Prevention and Control of Organized Transnational Crime;requested the Secretary-General to assist in the implementation of the Naples PoliticalDeclaration and Global Action Plan to meet the needs of Member States for: (a) increasedknowledge on the structure and dynamics of organized transnational crime in all its forms,as well as trends in its development, areas of activity and diversification; (b) reviewing18Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1996, Supplement No. 10 and corrigenda (E/1996/30 andCorr.1-3), chap. II, sect. A.1., para. 15.19Ibid., annex III, sect. I.xvii