Transnational Organized Crime

“The activities of transnational organized crime take many forms, but the ramifications are the same: weakened governance, corruption and lawlessness, open violence, death, and destruction. […] Human trafficking – a heinous violation of fundamental human rights that preys on the most vulnerable – continues with impunity.” 

 

Secretary-General António Guterres, Remarks to the UN Security Council on Transnational Organized Crime, Growing Challenges and New Threats, 7 December 2023

In December 2023, the Security Council held a debate on “Transnational organized crime, growing challenges and new threats.” Adopting a presidential statement, the Security Council recognized the importance of enhancing international and regional cooperation to counter transnational organized crime and called for “strengthening the coordination of United Nations actions, including those of its agencies, funds and programmes, in order to enhance the effectiveness of appropriate international efforts.”

In May 2024, the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) deliberated on the growing threat of organized crime with a focus on governance and the rule of law. The Chair of CEB observed that organized crime was a severe global problem that undermined the capacity of governments and institutions to protect societies and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It was a complex and multidimensional issue that many UN system entities were working to address within their respective mandates. In conclusion, he asked the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to lead a process proposing how the UN system could work together more coherently to tackle all components of organized crime. 

Subsequently, at its 48^th session in October 2024, the High-level Committee on Programmes considered a discussion note prepared by UNODC on the challenges posed by transnational organized crime and the opportunities for the UN system to achieve greater coordination and policy coherence. On the basis of that paper, HLCP committed to develop a UN system common approach to prevent and address transnational organized crime and approved the terms of reference for the time-bound Task Team on transnational organized crime to be established under the leadership of UNODC.

 As outlined in the Terms of Reference for the Task Team, three objectives are being pursued: 

1. Promoting policy coherence and aiding the UN system leadership in advocating for and facilitating international cooperation and evidence-based responses to prevent and address transnational organized crime that are rooted in respect for human rights and the rule of law.
2. Facilitating inter-agency coordination, leveraging data and analytical capacities, reducing duplication, optimizing resource mobilization and maximizing impact, including by leveraging existing relevant UN system work, processes and initiatives related to transnational organized crime.
3. Contributing to the capacity of the Resident Coordinator system and UN Country Teams, as well as missions, to provide integrated, data-driven policy advice and support to Member States that speak to national and regional needs and priorities, and increase buy-in.

At the Committee's 49th session, UNODC presented the results of a mapping of existing workstreams on transnational organized crime, ongoing coordination, and related operational challenges, as well as highlights from the first of the three planned regional field dialogues, both part of the first phase of work that laid the foundations for the forthcoming common approach. HLCP members provided reflections on the findings of the mapping exercise and guidance for the Task Team's consideration when developing the common approach. Members suggested various elements to be addressed by the common approach, as well as highlighted opportunities for greater inter-agency coordination in this area. To advance the work, the Committee decided to convene a virtual intersessional meeting to consider the draft conceptual framework and the provisional outline for the UN system common approach. 

Subsequently, at the intersessional meeting held in June 2025, the Committee reviewed drafts of the conceptual framework and the provisional outline. Members expressed support for the human security and human rights-based approaches proposed as overarching lenses for analyzing the threats and impacts of transnational organized crime and stressed that the common approach needed to be strategic, focused, flexible and nimble to adequately respond to the dynamism of the phenomenon. HLCP approved the draft conceptual framework and requested the task team to continue developing the draft system-wide approach to prevent and address transnational organized crime, taking into account feedback and guidance provided by HLCP, for consideration by the Committee at its 50th session.