UN System Common Approach to Prevent and Address Transnational Organized Crime

In October 2025, the United Nations (UN) System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) endorsed the UN System Common Approach to Prevent and Address Transnational Organized Crime developed through its High-level Committee on Programmes (HLCP), which approved the Common Approach at its fiftieth session.

The Common Approach represents the shared understanding of the UN system response to transnational organized crime (TOC) and aims to assist UN entities to better align and coordinate effective TOC-related support to Member States. It provides a working definition of TOC, and a broad overview of the problem, key trends and interlinkages, and includes an analysis on the impacts of TOC on peace and security, sustainable development and human rights; root causes and structural drivers of the phenomenon; and gaps in the response by actors in and outside of the United Nations system.

It seeks to address the challenges and response gaps by promoting policy coherence around human rights-based, people-centred and evidence-based approaches, enhancing inter-agency coordination, and contributing to the capacity of Resident Coordinators and UN County Teams in support to Member State efforts to prevent and address TOC.

The Common Approach helps the UN system to speak and act as one against TOC; enhance data collection, sharing and analysis; develop common messaging and pursue joint advocacy and resource mobilization; and promote integrated programming. It outlines six joint actions to be taken forward by UN system entities:

• a feasibility assessment for joint TOC-related data sharing;
• a regional pilot to implement the common approach in Latin America and the Caribbean;
• an initiative against financial crime and illicit financial flows;
• a database of TOC-related legislation;
• data collection on TOC-related environmental impacts; and
• joint messaging on TOC for use by UN system principals and Resident Coordinators.

A new inter-agency coordination mechanism outside of HLCP, led by UNODC with rotating co-chairs, will support implementation.

Additional information on the process leading up to the adoption of the Common Approach can be found on the Transnational Organized Crime topic page.