Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA)

International cooperation in criminal matters may be done on the basis of bilateral treaties or multilateral treaties, like the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC). The UNTOC does not override any existing MLA treaty already in place between States parties. Instead, the Convention gives States the option to use its article 18, paragraphs 9-29, if these provisions would facilitate cooperation or if there is no bilateral convention.

The UNTOC and its article 16 can be used, as well, as legal basis for extradition of criminals if a State party that makes extradition conditional on the existence of a treaty receives a request for extradition from another State party with which it has no extradition treaty (article 16, paragraph 4).