Article 4 General obligations

1.

a)

adopt and implement effective measures to control or regulate the supply chain of goods covered by this Protocol in order to prevent, deter, detect, investigate and prosecute illicit trade in such goods and shall cooperate with one another to this end;

b)

take any necessary measures in accordance with their national law to increase the effectiveness of their competent authorities and services, including customs and police responsible for preventing, deterring, detecting, investigating, prosecuting and eliminating all forms of illicit trade in goods covered by this Protocol;

c)

adopt effective measures for facilitating or obtaining technical assistance and financial support, capacity building and international cooperation in order to achieve the objectives of this Protocol and ensure the availability to, and secure exchange with, the competent authorities of information to be exchanged under this Protocol;

d)

cooperate closely with one another, consistent with their respective domestic legal and administrative systems, in order to enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement action to combat the unlawful conduct including criminal offences established in accordance with Article 14 of this Protocol;

e)

cooperate and communicate, as appropriate, with relevant regional and international intergovernmental organizations in the secure1) exchange of information covered by this Protocol in order to promote the effective implementation of this Protocol; and

f)

within the means and resources at their disposal, cooperate to raise financial resources for the effective implementation of this Protocol through bilateral and multilateral funding mechanisms.

2.