Security Council Adopts Presidential Statement on Transnational Organized Crime, Urges States to Ramp Up Cooperation, Laws, Borders to Combat It

Adopting a presidential statement today, the Security Council recognized the importance of enhancing international and regional cooperation to counter transnational organized crime during a day-long open debate on that subject, in which speakers detailed national experiences with the phenomenon and discussed how best to address it.

By the text (to be issued as document S/PRST/2023/6), the 15-nation organ expressed concern over the serious, growing threats posed by transnational organized crime and acknowledged that — in specific contexts and regions — terrorists may benefit from organized crime, whether domestic or transnational.  Noting that transnational crimes may threaten the security of countries on its agenda, the Council expressed its intention to consider such threats, as appropriate.

The Council also called on all Member States to improve border management and international cooperation to effectively constrain the spread of transnational threats.  It further urged Member States to strengthen their judicial, law enforcement and border-control capacities and to develop their capabilities to investigate arms-trafficking networks.  Additionally, the Council recognized the importance of enhanced political and conflict-related analysis, including on criminal networks that support transnational organized crime and terrorism.

Following the adoption, UN Secretary-General António Guterres observed that transnational organized crime — “often invisible, but always insidious” — is a vicious threat to peace, security and sustainable development. “Amidst a world in crisis, illicit economies find fertile ground to grow,” he said, highlighting the effects of such crime in countries like Afghanistan, Colombia, Haiti, Myanmar and Somalia.  While transnational criminal activities can take many forms, their ramifications are the same — weakened governance, corruption, lawlessness, death and destruction.

Echoing that sentiment was Ghada Fathi Waly, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), who noted that organized crime is gaining footholds around the world amidst growing conflict and instability.  Further, the costs and risks of engaging in criminal activity have never been lower. To respond, she called for institutions capable of delivering justice and resilient communities to confront illicit markets.  The rule of law must also be strengthened, along with investment in improved data collection.

Melani Cammett, Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs in Harvard University’s Department of Government, then detailed significant consequences transnational organized crime has for people across the world — the most obvious of which is rising violence.  “Nowhere is this more apparent than in Latin America,” she stressed, noting this is the region with the highest number of homicides in the world. Against this backdrop, she emphasized that effective responses to transnational organized crime require both supply-side and demand-side approaches.

Speaking as a survivor, Victoria Nyanjura, Founder and General Director of Women in Action for Women, recounted the sexual violence she experienced in 1996 when she — 14 years old — was abducted from her school by a terrorist group in Central Africa.  Urging collective action to dismantle organized criminal networks and eradicate sexual violence from communities, she said:  “By standing together, we can ensure that the stories of survivors become beacons of hope, guiding us towards a future where justice prevails and every individual can live free from the shadows of organized crime.”

Over 50 speakers took the floor in the ensuing debate, many to detail how transnational organized crime has specifically impacted their nations and peoples — illustrating the complex and multifaceted nature of this threat.  Others offered suggestions on what countries and the Council can do in response.

The representative of the Philippines pointed out that his country faces significant challenges due to the illegal trade in drugs and firearms, as well as human trafficking and migrant smuggling.  Further, criminal syndicates’ use of information and communications technology (ICT) to commit crimes or conceal the proceeds thereof is a growing concern.  In the post-COVID-19 era, criminals have exploited advances in technology to expand the scale and scope of their illicit activities and evade culpability, he added.

Türkiye’s representative also noted that his country has long fought illicit drug trafficking, due to its geographic location. Further, as the world’s largest refugee-hosting country, Türkiye attaches great importance to protecting the rights of migrants, refugees and victims of trafficking.  Human trafficking is the most egregious form of organized crime, he emphasized, stressing that the nexus between organized crime and terrorism — and their heavy engagement in drug trafficking — should not be disregarded. 

On that, the representative of Nigeria recalled her country’s experience with the terrorist activities of Boko Haram and related criminal banditry, which led to massive displacement.  Transnational crime provides funding for criminal activities — including terrorism, armed conflict and trafficking — that have devastating impacts on individuals and communities, she said.  States must therefore strengthen their capacities to hold perpetrators of organized crime accountable.

The representative of Colombia, however, pointed out that efforts to combat drug trafficking — one of the main sources of income for organized crime—– have failed, noting that drug production and demand are at a maximum. Further, it is concerning that efforts to combat organized crime in Colombia have disproportionately affected social workers and those in vulnerable communities.  A punitive approach has resulted in jail sentences for those in poor or rural areas, with little effect on the drug trade but devastating effects on the families of those imprisoned.

Similarly, Denmark’s representative, also speaking for Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, noted that many low-level actors in transnational organized crime never wanted to be criminals.  Rather, “poverty drives some of them to make unsocial choices”, she said, while others are pressured to engage in such activities — sometimes at gunpoint.  Consequently, the international community’s approach should distinguish between crime as means for subsistence and crime as means to sustain conflict.  She added that, to mount a tailored response, the international community must know more about how transnational criminal networks contribute to the spread of terrorism and fuel conflict dynamics.

Mario Adolfo Búcaro Flores, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, also highlighted the need to understand organized crime, which is often clandestine in nature.  Noting that criminal groups exploit gaps in international cooperation, he underscored the importance of strengthening such cooperation, improving law-enforcement capacities and developing comprehensive strategies that include preventive and rehabilitative measures.  Further, coordination between Government agencies and collaboration with the private sector and international organizations is essential.

Offering further suggestions to guide international action, Verónica Nataniel Macamo Dlhovo, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mozambique, encouraged efforts that address the root causes of this problem, which include poverty, lack of social and economic opportunities and unemployment.  She also called for more investment in promoting the rule of law and social justice, in education and health, in fighting corruption and in combating criminal networks.

As for what the Council can do, Ramses Cleland, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana, said the organ should guide the UN system regarding the evolving threat of organized crime.  This includes setting the way forward, encouraging technical assistance, enforcing compliance with sanctions regimes and facilitating international cooperation.

“We must have a comprehensive approach adopted by the United Nations,” said Daniel Roy Gilchrist Noboa Azín, President of Ecuador and Council President for December, speaking in his national capacity.  For its part, the Council can contribute to cross-cutting efforts to address multidimensional challenges, as it did when it addressed the mining and selling of blood diamonds in 2003. “Transnational crime demands a strong and timely transnational response,” he added, noting that — just as it was during COVID-19 — so long as one State is not safe, no other can be.

TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME, GROWING CHALLENGES AND NEW THREATS

Briefings

ANTÓNIO GUTERRES, Secretary-General of the United Nations, observed that transnational organized crime — “often invisible, but always insidious” — is a vicious threat to peace, security and sustainable development.  This is true wherever it operates, and it is present in all countries — rich and poor, North and South, developing and developed. Further, he noted that “cyberspace is a virtual El Dorado for criminals”.  While transnational criminal activities can take many forms, their ramifications are the same — weakened governance, corruption, lawlessness, death and destruction.  In Africa alone, more money is lost to tax evasion, money-laundering and illicit financial flows than comes in through official development assistance (ODA). “Amidst a world in crisis, illicit economies find fertile ground to grow,” he stressed.  Additionally, crime is a catalyst for conflict, undermining the authority of State institutions, eroding the rule of law and destabilizing law-enforcement structures.

From Afghanistan to Colombia, the production of illicit drugs has fuelled brutal and long-lasting conflicts, he went on to say. Meanwhile, Haiti is caught in a vicious cycle of State collapse, escalating gang violence and a growing illicit trade in firearms.  In Myanmar, human trafficking and online scams are flourishing in an environment of violence and repression following the 2021 military takeover. Expressing particular concern over links between transnational organized crime and terrorism, he noted that such criminal groups are developing opportunistic alliances with armed actors designated as terrorist groups by the Security Council and that such groups seek connections with transnational organized crime to fund their activities.  In the Sahel, illicit trade in fuel, drugs, arms and natural resources provides operational resources to armed groups. In Somalia, Al-Shabaab’s control of the illicit charcoal trade radiates insecurity across the region, devastating forests with dramatic ramifications.

While noting that the Council has long recognized the danger posed by transnational organized crime to international peace and security, he stressed:  “We must do more to strengthen our defences.”  As criminal groups work across borders, multilateral cooperation is the only way to target criminal dynamics that fuel violence and prolong cycles of conflict.  Spotlighting the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime as a blueprint, he called on all Member States to fully implement this instrument and work together to investigate and prosecute organized criminal groups.  He also pointed out that the United Nations is supporting Member States in addressing links between transnational organized crime and terrorism through the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact.  Further, he expressed hope that Member States will reach consensus on a new treaty on cybercrime, as stronger cooperation is critical for the collection, sharing and exchange of data.

He also underlined the need to strengthen the rule of law, which is foundational to resolving conflict peacefully and tackling multifaceted threats posed by transnational organized crime.  Observing that many countries “are at grave risk of the rule of lawlessness”, he said that, when the rule of law is weak, the consequences reach across all spheres of public and private life, impunity prevails, crime flourishes and the risk of violent conflict grows exponentially.  Additionally, the international community must redouble efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  This is “our best instrument to create the economic and social conditions in which organized crime cannot succeed”, he said. Further, the international community must balance preventive and security responses, as combating crime must never be used to trample human rights.  Adding that the Council has a critical role to play in the collective fight against organized crime, he emphasized:  “But to succeed, we must act together and stand united.”

GHADA FATHI WALY, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), said organized crime “is a complex phenomenon driven by diverse factors, from poverty and inequalities, to collusion and power dynamics, to fragile rule of law and weak institutions”.  It transcends national borders and has local, regional and global impacts.  Today, amid growing conflict and instability, organized crime is gaining footholds in different corners of the world, undermining international peace and security. “It is time to take strategic, coordinated, and collective action against this threat,” she said, including that posed by markets for cocaine, illicit firearms, synthetic drugs and cybercrime.  She added that “it is a multibillion-dollar industry driving violence and exploitation”.

The UNODC Global Study on Homicide, to be launched tomorrow, reveals that organized criminal groups or gangs are responsible for almost a quarter of all homicides worldwide, she said.  Human traffickers exploit people affected by violence, economic hardship and environmental degradation.  Migrant smuggling networks also thrive in those conditions.  Non-State armed groups, including terrorist groups, use abducted children as combatants, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, she noted.  In the context of armed conflict and volatility, organized crime can be a fundamental component in the cycle of violence, igniting or inflaming conflict.  Ongoing conflicts are prolonged by criminal activities that fund, and benefit from, hostilities.  Those criminal interests obstruct peacebuilding and return to the rule of law, she added.

UNODC analysis shows how criminal markets overlap with crisis and armed conflict; for example, in Haiti, violent gangs compete for control of key infrastructure and drug trafficking routes.  In the Sahel, non-State armed groups, some of them designated as terrorist groups, are central actors in illicit markets, facilitating gold and fuel trafficking in areas under their control, and taking advantage of rampant unregulated activity. They collect taxes on the trade of falsified medical products and benefit from instability.  She also noted that, in Myanmar, non-State armed groups and transnational organized crime syndicates dominate methamphetamine production and trafficking in the Golden Triangle.  The same border areas where synthetic drugs are produced have also become home to illegal casinos and online scams with global reach.  Opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar is back to levels not seen since 2015, while cultivation in Afghanistan has dropped by 95 per cent.  She said the impacts of organized crime are interconnected, and they also contribute to other global challenges.  In the Amazon basin, for example, drug trafficking intersects with illegal mining, logging and other crimes that affect the environment, harming local and Indigenous communities and undermining global efforts against climate change, she said.

Organized crime infiltrates economies through corruption, she went on to say.  It has become decentralized and less hierarchical, grouping into networks of specialists.  Digital markets and currencies facilitate transactions, making them more rapid and anonymous.  The costs and risks of engaging in criminal activity have never been lower, as the global threat posed by organized crime reaches new levels of complexity, she said.  To respond, she called for institutions capable of delivering justice and ending impunity and resilient communities to confront illicit markets that are worth trillions of dollars.  The rule of law must be strengthened and international cooperation enhanced.  She encouraged support and investment in improved data collection to better anticipate and monitor trafficking and organized crime dynamics and respond proactively.  Calling for integration measures against organized crime in peace and security interventions and resolutions, she urged States to promote the inclusion of organized crime prevention in sustainable development cooperation frameworks.

MELANI CAMMETT, Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs, Department of Government, Harvard University, said that transnational organized crime encompasses a variety of markets, such as human trafficking and smuggling; illegal trade in flora, fauna and counterfeit goods; drug production and smuggling; arms trafficking; financial and cybercrimes; and other illicit flows.  Key actors include hacking groups, gangs, drug cartels, pirates, traffickers, mafia organizations and armed non-State actors, she noted, adding that often the same actor is involved in multiple types of illicit markets.  Sometimes State agencies and State officials themselves are involved with criminal organizations.  Some indicators such as homicide rates suggest that on aggregate certain forms of crime are either decreasing or have remained flat in some regions, she added, spotlighting that certain criminal markets appear to be rising, like trade in types of illegal wildlife or drug production and smuggling.

“Transnational organized crime has spread geographically, with Europe showing the greatest increase and Asia featuring the highest aggregate presence of criminal organizations,” she said, noting that areas with weaker governance and conflict-affected areas are especially likely to host production and transit zones.  Cross-border areas, such as the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, the Great Lakes in sub-Saharan Africa, the tri-border area shared by Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, the United States-Mexico border, the Golden Triangle and others are key nodes through which illicit goods and people pass, she said.  She added that insurgents operating in these zones have diversified into various streams of organized crime to generate revenue for their activities.  “Some subnational regions are effectively governed by criminal organizations,” she emphasized.

She also said that technological developments have dramatically altered the nature of transnational organized crime today.  Illicit markets in counterfeit products, industrial waste and human organs are some examples of newer types of flows, while advanced technologies have transformed old forms of criminal activities, she stressed.  “Today, money-laundering has evolved dramatically with electronic money-transferring systems and integrated financial markets,” she said.  Criminal organizations have even harnessed basic technologies to their benefit, such as 3D-printing and drones, to create weapons and to facilitate surveillance.  She added that advances in Internet technologies have led to an explosion in cybercrime that has global ramifications. “Transnational organized crime has significant consequences for the health and well-being of people across the world and for the political systems and economies that shape their lives,” she underscored, adding that the most obvious consequence is rising violence.

“Nowhere is this more apparent than in Latin America, which stands out as the global region with the highest number of homicides in the world,” she said, spotlighting the relevant sharp increase of 87 per cent in Ecuador, 34 per cent in Chile and 29 per cent in Haiti.  She noted that some forms of transnational organized crime are highly gendered, with women and girls accounting for 71 per cent of victims of human trafficking, while forced labour and the illegal trade in organs disproportionately affect men.  “Transnational organized crime has both direct and indirect ramifications for democracy,” she said, stressing that criminal gangs view voting and other forms of political engagement as a threat to their survival, incentivizing them to deter, surveil and punish citizens who participate in politics.  She said that hundreds of Mexican politicians have been victims of so-called narco-assassinations.

“With respect to the rule of law, government responses to organized crime have often entailed the militarization of local law enforcement or even the use of the army to run domestic policing operations,” she said. These practices can undermine key elements of democracy.  She emphasized that effective responses to transnational organized crime require both supply-side and demand-side approaches.

VICTORIA NYANJURA, Founder and General Director, Women in Action for Women, said “as I speak, I do so not as a victim, but as a survivor”, stressing that the word choice is a testament to human strength in the face of unimaginable adversity.  She recounted the sexual violence she experienced in 1996 at the age of 14, when members of the terrorist group the Lord’s Resistance Army abducted her and many other girls from their school, noting that the Army has been one of Central Africa’s cruelest armed groups for the past 30 years. Over 30,000 child abductions have been attributed to the Army, all for the use of soldiers, sexual slavery and mules, she added.  Held for eight years, she made the choice to escape — “or die trying” — with two children born during her captivity.  Organized crime, especially with sexual violence at its core, strips away physical autonomy, erodes self-worth and leaves deep scars, she said.  Sexual violence ripples through families, communities and society at large.  This trauma is a community burden rather than an individual one, demanding a united front against perpetrators and systems that enable them.  Condemning the acts alone is not enough.

Root causes and systemic failures perpetuating these crimes must be addressed, she said.  Education, awareness and a commitment to dismantling structures that protect perpetrators are essential in eradicating the scourge of sexual violence.  Moreover, survivors must be heard, believed and protected by their communities, as the stigma surrounding sexual violence silences victims, allowing organized crimes to flourish unchecked.  “Our strength lies in solidarity and our collective action,” she stressed, underscoring the importance for both Governments and private organizations to support survivors in their long and painful journey of recovery.  Further, survivors must be included in decision-making for policies and programme creation.  “I can attest, from my own experience, that having a voice in matters impacting our lives is a critical component of the healing process,” she said.  Today’s discussion must be a catalyst for change. Collective outrage can fuel a commitment to collective action to dismantle organized crime networks and eradicate sexual violence from communities.  “By standing together, we can ensure that the stories of survivors become beacons of hope, guiding us toward a future where justice prevails, and every individual can live free from the shadows of organized crimes,” she said.

Statements

DANIEL ROY GILCHRIST NOBOA AZÍN, President of Ecuador and Council President for December, speaking in his national capacity, stressed that transnational organized crime has caused more deaths than many of the world’s conflicts in the past 20 years combined.  “We must have a comprehensive approach adopted by the United Nations,” he said, noting that the Security Council has the capacity to contribute to cross-cutting efforts to address multidimensional challenges, as it did in adopting resolution 1459 (2003) on the Kimberley Process, which aims to end the mining and selling of blood diamonds.  In Haiti in 2023, nearly 4,000 people were killed, 1,500 wounded and some 3,000 kidnapped, in connection with gang violence alone.  On 2 October, the Council authorized the deployment of a multinational security support mission.

In recent years, his country has seen an unprecedented increase in violence and homicides, falling victim to transnational organized crime that seeks to affect the control of territory and weaken borders.  “Transnational crime demands a strong and timely transnational response,” he said, noting that just like the case of the COVID‑19 pandemic, as long as one State is not safe, no other can be.  This Council should therefore encourage increased cooperation, capacity-building and technology transfer to overcome the challenges presented by security and cybersecurity threats.  Early warning mechanisms, crime prevention efforts and criminal justice promotion should be expanded and incorporated into peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts.  Wars, conflicts and transnational organized crime have one ingredient in common:  weapons.  On 15 December, the Council will hold an open debate on the threat to peace and security posed by the diversion, illicit trafficking and misuse of weapons, he added.

VERÓNICA NATANIEL MACAMO DLHOVO, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mozambique, said that, while transnational organized crime “does not take place on defined battlefields”, it undermines efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  Growing crime negatively impacts societies and economic performance, exacerbated by existing challenges such as underdevelopment, political instability, armed conflict and corruption.  As criminal networks exploit vulnerabilities — including poverty, lack of social and economic opportunities and unemployment — to operate, efforts must be geared towards resolving the root causes of this problem.  She therefore called for more investment in promoting the rule of law and social justice, in education and health, in fighting corruption and in combating criminal networks.  Further, she underlined the need for robust, efficient legal systems, well-trained and well-equipped police forces and mutual assistance between countries. Detailing a law approved by her Government on 28 August establishing a legal regime to prevent and combat money-laundering and terrorist financing, she added that national policies aim to cut off the sources of logistical support for criminal activities.

RAMSES CLELAND, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana, said organized crimes, with evolving forms and interlocked actions with terrorism, violent extremism and maritime piracy, “pose an even more formidable menace to international peace and security through their cross-border impact”.  He said the Council should deepen guidance to the UN system of the evolving threat and coordinated actions to address it, setting out the way forward, encouraging technical assistance, enforcing compliance with sanctions regimes and facilitating international cooperation.  He urged uptake of technological advancements to detect, investigate and prosecute unlawful activities, via strengthening of cyberdefences, responsibly using artificial intelligence for data analysis and predictive policing, and promoting digital literacy to prevent and reduce online crimes.  He urged a gender-sensitive approach and recognition of the distinct impact of such illicit activities on women and girls.  He said international and regional cooperation is crucial, including strengthening information-sharing mechanisms, facilitating mutual legal assistance, and conducting joint operations and investigations.

MICHEL XAVIER BIANG (Gabon) said the roots of transnational organized crime in several gray zones around the world has made it a formidable factor in the destabilization of several States and entire regions.  Apart from factors weakening Africa, such as conflicts, terrorism and uncontrolled migrations, there are new security risks generated by transnational organized crime, he said, adding that the illicit exploitation of natural resources is one of the main sources of financing for armed groups, terrorists and transnational crime networks. He noted that Gabon is the fifth African country with a Criminal Analysis Centre in collaboration with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).  “There is an overriding need for the Security Council to tackle the roots of organized crime in a more decisive way, including by drying up the financing of armed groups and organized criminal networks which generate instability and violence in many parts of the world,” he emphasized.

MOHAMED ISSA ABUSHAHAB (United Arab Emirates) said that transnational organized crime provides circumstances that give rise to conflict and remain a significant obstacle to the New Agenda for Peace.  Bilateral agreements can aid in combating transnational organized crime.  Among other recommendations, he said that illicit financial flows must be confronted as criminal profits prop up criminal networks while bribery alone costs up to $2 trillion per year.  Further, while new technologies pose new threats, they must be leveraged to create a world free of organized crime.  Artificial intelligence can track criminal activities online and his country is working with the private sector to create a centre in Dubai dedicated to fighting and researching cybercrime.  From 2015 to 2021, organized crime was responsible for as many annual deaths as all armed conflicts combined, he said.  It is essential that the international community meet its commitments to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime to create peaceful and crime resilient societies.

ROBERT A. WOOD (United States) said that all have an interest in countering transnational organized crimes, which stops neither at national boundaries nor vast expanses of land, sea and cyberspace to exact its very high costs to individuals, communities, countries and even the planet.  His country takes a comprehensive approach to combating such crimes.  In 2021, President Joseph Biden established the U.S. Council on Transnational Organized Crimes to bring resources together to combat organized criminal organizations.  A forthcoming White House strategy will lay out a whole-of-government strategic approach.  In July 2023, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken established a global coalition to address synthetic drug threats and increase international cooperation. Women and girls are most impacted by such crimes.  Their participation is crucial in forging lasting solutions, he said. 

SÉRGIO FRANÇA DANESE (Brazil), emphasizing that States bear the primary responsibility for fighting transnational organized crime, said that national authorities must address this issue through domestic criminal justice systems.  Meanwhile, the Security Council’s encroachment on issues traditionally addressed in other forums may have unintended consequences.  Recalling the November signing of a treaty in Brasilia that created a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between law-enforcement agencies of the Americas, he stressed that Brazil is committed to promoting international cooperation to counter transnational organized crime through well-established mechanisms.  Expressing support for UNODC efforts in this regard, he said that measures to enhance national law-enforcement capacities are “crucial for reducing the gaps through which organized crime grows”.  He expressed concern, however, over attempts to associate transnational organized crime with terrorism, stating that there are “no automatic or intrinsic linkages between these two phenomena”.  Despite the importance of combating both, they are different problems requiring different remedies.

FRANCESCA MARIA GATT (Malta) underscored the importance of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in combating existing and emerging forms of such crime.  She said that, as an island State, her country is especially aware of challenges and difficulties posed by maritime crime and trafficking at sea.  Arms and drug trafficking, smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings are among the most concerning threats.  She urged States to address specificities of each form of crime, structures behind them, their profits and technologies used to facilitate and commit them.  She highlighted that the threat also impacts efforts towards the 2030 Agenda.  The Security Council must confront the underlying complex causes of transnational organized crime, including multidimensional factors such as widespread poverty, inadequate access to public services, security threats and deficiencies in the rule of law.  Climate change and other environmental threats deserve the Council’s attention, as organized criminal groups take advantage of such vulnerabilities.  She called for multidimensional and tailored responses.

ZHANG JUN (China) noted the interlinkages of transnational organized crime, their complexity and the sophisticated means of such crimes.  He said the international community should take these crimes seriously, upholding the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and working together to fight transnational organized crime.  “Specialized platforms and entities should play a major role,” he stressed, recalling that this year marks the twentieth anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.  Countries should work on the basis of the Convention, he said, expressing hope that UNODC and INTERPOL will continue to leverage their expertise.  “The Security Council should play its due role in coordinating the response to the nexus between terrorism and transnational organized crime, preventing their collusion and interpenetration,” he said, urging States to step up law enforcement, judicial cooperation and capacity-building.

ALBANA DAUTLLARI (Albania) said that transnational organized crime must be addressed at transnational, regional and subregional levels.  It is crucial to end the fragmented approach by leveraging all stakeholders, including the UN, INTERPOL and regional organizations.  Further, joint task forces must be supported, she said, and a more responsive UN approach must include preventive measures. To that end, the Security Council must play a bigger role in both capacity-building and implementing anti-money-laundering measures.  Links between transnational organized crime and terrorism must be recognized. Further, a whole-of-society approach is necessary, paying special attention to youth and civil society.  Albania will continue to work with all actors to address transnational organized crime, but such efforts will fall short if the scourge is not addressed at national levels.  To that end, Albania has been strengthening its justice system since 2015, including through the creation of a special prosecution for corruption and organized crime.

DMITRY A. POLYANSKIY (Russian Federation) said that his country has consistently advocated stepping up international efforts to combat transnational organized crime.  The Council should consider the threat of organized crime through the lens of its nexus with terrorism.  Council resolution 2482 (2019) expressed concern that terrorists may benefit from transnational organized crime to finance or logistically support their activities.  The text also emphasized the need to coordinate international efforts to respond to this challenge.  International cooperation should be carried out in good faith without hidden agendas and double standards, based on the principles of equality and mutual respect.  But disregard for these principles by some States, including some Council members, created new hotbeds of tension and expanded threats of terrorism and organized crime.  He expressed appreciation for the efforts of UNODC with considerable experience in strengthening the capacity of States in the anti-crime sphere.  Since 2021, the Moscow-led initiative to combat arms supplies in terrorism has been successfully implemented.  It focused on strengthening the capacities of the Central Asian countries.  The next phase involves the provision of assistance to African States.

BARBARA WOODWARD (United Kingdom) underscored the importance of international cooperation to tackle the problem of transnational organized crime, stressing that criminal networks exacerbate conflict and instability while they drain resources from societies through corruption, cybercrime and fraud.  Without security, economic development, State building and poverty reduction are impossible.  Traditional law must be complemented to address the drivers of crime and the harms that crime produces, including by protecting victims and returning assets.  Hailing the UNODC Organized Crime Strategy Toolkit in that regard, she stressed that the UN and other organizations must adapt to escalating challenges and better coordinate with wider security, development and economic work including alongside the private sector and civil society.  The Council can lead these efforts.  The United Kingdom supports both the women, peace and security agenda and the youth, peace and security agenda to help build community resilience and reduce recruitment into organized crime groups, she said.

PASCALE CHRISTINE BAERISWYL (Switzerland) said organized crime feeds on violence in a harmful cycle that often transcends borders and jeopardizes Security Council efforts to promote peace and security.  However, organized crime and the violence it engenders are not inevitable, she said, adding:  “It's up to us, as political leaders, to deprive this harmful weed of its breeding ground.”  Accordingly, she stressed the need to rely on civil society and the gender perspective to come up with targeted responses to organized crime, and make prevention a political priority.  While the immediate task is to contain the spread of organized crime, its roots must also be eradicated.  Prevention means building the confidence of societies in their institutions, strengthening the democratic framework and rule of law, and respecting human rights online and offline. Civil society and women are often the essential pillars of a resilient community, she said, highlighting in this regard the Nigerian non-governmental organization (NGO) Women's Aid Collective, which is committed to preventing human trafficking. Switzerland also co-founded the Pathfinders initiative to promote peaceful and open societies, she added.

NICOLAS DE RIVIÈRE (France), noting that profits generated by illicit trafficking support terrorist networks, stressed that such sources of financing must be dried out to effectively counter terrorism.  Also pointing out that certain States’ lack of effective control over their territories and borders fosters the development of criminal networks and illicit trafficking, he underlined the need to counter this in a coordinated manner.  The Council must remain seized of this matter, especially in the context of the missions it mandates and the measures it adopts to counter arms trafficking where intended recipients are non-State actors.  To this end, he welcomed the organ’s recent decision to target criminal gangs in Haiti through resolution 2700 (2023).  New forms of crime must also be countered — particularly growing cybercrime that jeopardizes the functioning of economies and societies, such as the cyberattacks that targeted Costa Rica in 2022.  He further underlined the need to address environmental crime, which has become the third-most-lucrative activity in the world.

ISHIKANE KIMIHIRO (Japan) said that Tokyo continues to actively contribute to reinforcing the rule of law worldwide.  His country serves as Vice-Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee for the elaboration of a new UN Convention on Cybercrime.  Japan plans to invite judges from Southeast Asian countries in February 2024 to participate in a training course on handling terrorism trials in Malta.  The Diet last week approved the supplementary budget, allocating $17 million to measures against crime, including cybercrime, drugs and trafficking in persons as well as capacity-building of customs authorities for countries in need.  Japan has also considerably increased its contribution to UNODC from the previous year.

MARIO ADOLFO BÚCARO FLORES, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Guatemala, recognized that organized criminal threats “require a coordinated response at the international level, as well as the implementation of comprehensive measures and the commitment of various actors in order to address this complex challenge that is rapidly changing”.  He highlighted the need to understand organized crime, which is often clandestine.  The increase in the production and diversion of small arms and light weapons contributes to the empowerment of criminal organizations.  He expressed concern that terrorists can benefit from international organized crime, stressing the need to strengthen international, regional and subregional cooperation to prevent and effectively combat terrorism.  He noted that criminal groups take advantage of gaps in international cooperation, underscoring the importance of strengthening cooperation between countries, improving law enforcement capacity and developing comprehensive strategies that include preventive and rehabilitative measures.  Coordination between Government agencies and collaboration with the private sector and international organizations are essential.

MARKO ŠTUCIN, Deputy Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and State Secretary of Slovenia, called for a comprehensive approach to trafficking in drugs and human beings, including supporting victims, fighting root causes and supporting countries of origin in developing appropriate anti-trafficking legislation.  He called for the international community to help prevent crimes before they occur, including empowering children and youth to become free and resilient individuals — citing the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance developed by UNODC, following on a Slovenian resolution.  He further stressed that illegal exploitation of natural resources exacerbates tensions over natural resources and the threat of violent conflict, with illegal trade also leading to deforestation, pollution, environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity.  He noted that Slovenia’s Criminal Code recognizes environmental damage, waste and hazardous substances disposal, illegal handling of protected wild animal and plant species and pollution of drinking water as a criminal offence.

ALICIA GUADALUPE BUENROSTRO MASSIEU (Mexico) called on the international community and Security Council to be cautious in establishing an automatic link between transnational organized crime and terrorist groups or violent extremist groups.  “These are two phenomena which have their own legal frameworks and fora,” she stressed, adding that organized crime groups are looking for economic gain whereas terrorist groups have ideological or political motivations.  “Ignoring the nuances and linking terrorism to organized crime can also lead to the stigmatization of communities or regions where organized crime operates,” she said. “On the American continent, including the Caribbean, we cannot ignore the link that exists between the illicit trafficking of drugs and illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons,” she said, also urging States to stop illicit financial flows.  “It is also important that we fight corruption,” she emphasized, calling on the international community to address the structural causes of violence and crime.

OMAR KADIRI (Morocco) voiced concern that criminal networks are evolving.  The expansion of international trade and information and communications technology (ICT) has been well exploited while cross-border crime is regionalized and expanding.  Morocco condemns the proven link between organized crime, terrorist groups and separatist groups in Africa, he said, which in response require rule of law, capacity-building in law enforcement and enhancement of cooperation between States. Morocco prioritizes countering terrorism, he said, highlighting efforts in that regard including regional policies based on exchange of information and best practices as well as combating corruption through mechanisms and strict enforcement of law.  The next General Assembly of INTERPOL will be held in Morocco in 2025, he said, reflecting the country’s commitment to the issue.  It is important to scale up efforts of the international community to advance international and regional security based on mutual respect, good neighbourly relations and cooperation, he said.

PAULA NARVÁEZ OJEDA (Chile) said that organized crime is global in scale with extensive transnational links and the capacity to challenge national and international authority.  Corruption can be considered a basic element of transnational organized crime, since it accompanies all the associated crimes from the payment of hush money to public officials, bribery, influence peddling or facilitating money-laundering and even obtaining classified information.  Organized crime is a constant concern for Latin America and her country.  Stressing the need for greater international cooperation, she referred to the programme that seeks to contribute to security and justice in Latin America through European Union support for the fight against transnational organized crime.  In December 2022, Chile’s Ministry of the Interior and Public Security launched the first national policy against organized crime, bringing together 17 public institutions with the main objective to dismantle criminal gangs and organizations and weaken their financial and economic power.

CHRISTINA MARKUS LASSEN (Denmark), also speaking for Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, emphasized the close link between transnational organized crime and the political economy of conflict. Opportunities for criminal enrichment often spur resumed hostilities and, even when this is not the case, conflicts attract criminal actors.  Further, such actors are often based in neighbouring countries, regionalizing conflicts and spreading their destabilizing effects across borders.  Therefore, underlining the need to curb transnational organized crime, she said that, to mount a tailored response, the international community must know more about how transnational criminal networks contribute to the spread of terrorism and fuel conflict dynamics.  In this regard, she commended the work of the panels of experts and monitoring teams of relevant UN sanctions regimes and urged the strengthening of such international oversight.

While also calling for improved coordination between UN agencies, she pointed out that local voices are often best situated to identify criminal networks and illicit trade flows.  They should therefore be included in work to hold criminals accountable. Additionally, she noted that many low-level actors in transnational organized crime never wanted to be criminals; rather, “poverty drives some of them to make unsocial choices”, while others are pressured to engage in such activities — sometimes at gunpoint.  Consequently, the international community’s approach should distinguish between crime as means for subsistence and crime as means to sustain conflict.  She added that economic development must be facilitated to provide better livelihood alternatives, in addition to efforts to improve governance and strengthen law enforcement.

MARTHINUS CHRISTOFFEL JOHANNES VAN SCHALKWYK (South Africa) noted the broad recognition that, in some situations, transnational organized crime perpetuates armed conflicts and terrorism through illicit arms trafficking and channeling illicit proceeds of crime to terrorists and non-State armed actors — evident from the 2023 UNODC Transnational Organized Crime Threat Assessment in the Sahel.  He further cited the rise in illegal mining activities perpetrated by both local and cross-border criminal syndicates, which brings with it other secondary offences such as human trafficking and funding of gang wars.  “Equally, gang wars have resurfaced in the area of wildlife crimes such as rhino poaching and other certain species of wild flora and fauna,” he stated.  He welcomed the support of the UNODC Regional Office for Southern Africa for technical assistance and capacity-building through various training and research programmes, which inform the development of policies and legislation aimed at curbing this scourge. 

MAURIZIO MASSARI (Italy) welcomed that the text of the omnibus crime resolution includes new language strengthening the role of youth crime prevention policies, protection of the environment and the importance of effectively combating the scourge of sexual exploitation and abuse of children.  “These should be considered the new frontier in the fight against such crimes,” he stressed.  He noted that organized crime always has a transnational dimension and that an effective fight against it should hinge on two elements:  legal instruments that streamline cooperation and guarantee the admissibility in national proceedings of evidence gathered abroad; and the creation of specialized units capable of using state-of-the-art instruments to detect and investigate organized criminal groups.  He recalled that the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime is still considered the most effective international legal tool in combating such crime, calling for the full and effective implementation of its protocols, especially concerning trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants.

ARIEL RODELAS PEÑARANDA (Philippines) said that, in the post COVID-19 pandemic era, criminals have exploited advances in technology “to expand the scale and scope of their illicit activities while evading culpability”.  He noted that his country faces significant challenges from the illegal drugs and firearms trade, human trafficking and migrant smuggling.  A coordinated international effort and robust legal and policy frameworks are essential to combat these crimes.  He emphasized the importance of building on frameworks established at the UN and recognized regional mechanisms in combating transnational crimes.  Criminal syndicates’ increasing use of ICT to commit crime or conceal proceeds is a growing concern, he said, noting that the Convention on Cybercrime, currently under negotiation, has significant potential in clarifying jurisdictional issues and expediting investigation and legal assistance between parties. Combating people trafficking and the drug trade are priorities for his country.  Since money is the bedrock of transnational crimes, tracking and disrupting the flow of money is critical, necessitating collaboration with financial institutions.

OSAMA MAHMOUD ABDELKHALEK MAHMOUD (Egypt) said different regions around the world are suffering from an increase in conflicts, which are creating conducive environments for criminal activities.  Praising the efforts of UNODC, he called for a strengthening of its financial resources.  He expressed grave concern over the increase in interlinkages between patterns of transnational organized crime, particularly theft, sabotage and illicit trafficking in cultural property.  He recalled that, in May 2023, his country began a joint presidency with the European Union of the Global Counterterrorism Forum.  “We are also concerned with the crime of corruption,” he said, spotlighting work on the return of stolen assets to their countries of origin without any preconditions.  As criminal organizations resort to the use of innovative ways like ICT to perpetrate crimes, he called for adoption of a comprehensive convention to combat the use of ICT for criminal purposes.   

DANIEL ZAVALA PORRAS (Costa Rica) said that organized crime and gangs are a major factor behind the world’s highest homicide rates in Latin America and the Caribbean, spotlighting violence in Haiti in particular.  Hailing the partnership between UNODC and the Organization of American States (OAS), which will enhance Haiti’s investigation and prosecution of corruption and money-laundering cases, he underscored that the country’s needs require more substantial international investments to bolster border control and strengthen the rule of law.  Turning to trafficking, he called on the international community to act swiftly to use ICT to combat the scourge, while strengthening collaboration between States, civil society and the private sector to that end.  Noting that an unintended consequence of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols is that trafficking is treated in silos, Costa Rica advocates for an integrated, adaptable and proactive approach that addresses the multifaceted nature of organized crime.

ALEXANDER MARSCHIK (Austria) highlighted that, from 2015 to 2021, organized crime was responsible for as many deaths as all armed conflicts combined.  While national legal systems, the rule of law, anti-corruption measures and law enforcement play an important role in countering such threats, strong and effective multilateral cooperation and frameworks are needed to defeat organized crime.  Digitization and other advances in technology are changing global illicit markets and the modus operandi of criminal groups, he cautioned, noting that traditional approaches towards preventing and combating crime are simply no longer sufficient.  Cybercrime is a global threat to economic development and prosperity, and cybersecurity attacks are a method of modern-day warfare.  In the face of these growing challenges, he underscored the need to further strengthen international cooperation against cybercrime.  Turning to trafficking in human beings, which has been the case in Ukraine due to the ongoing illegal Moscow invasion, he called for a victim-centred approach based on human rights, the rule of law and prevention.

KEMAL ONUR EKREN (Türkiye) said the nexus between organized crime and terrorism and their heavy engagement in drug trafficking should not be disregarded. Human trafficking is the most egregious form of organized crime.  This global problem exerts an immense cost on the social and economic fabric of societies. As the world’s largest refugee hosting country, Türkiye attaches the utmost importance to protecting rights of migrants, refugees and victims of trafficking.  Due to its geographical location, his country has long been fighting against illicit drug trafficking.  It is actively contributing to regional and international organizations, such as UNODC, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and the International Narcotics Control Board.  Drug trafficking fuels terrorism, which in turn perpetuates the drug trade.  To break this cycle, the international community must cooperate more closely and share intelligence and best practices.  Terrorist groups operate across national borders.  The PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] terrorist organization fully illustrates the symbiotic nature of terrorism and transnational organized crime.

CHRISTIAN WENAWESER (Liechtenstein) noted that the success of criminal networks pursuing both political and business interests not only leads to heightened violence and undermines the rule of law but also erodes the foundation of human security.  The world’s response critically relies on well-functioning and rules-based international cooperation.  Another key aspect is addressing corruption, with the United Nations Convention against Corruption providing a legal basis to that end.  In partnership with the Basel Institute on Governance, Liechtenstein supports the fight against green corruption, including illicit funds from illegal wildlife trade, forest crime, illegal mining and other environmental crimes.  The project aims to enhance law enforcement capacity to confiscate the proceeds of such crimes and end impunity for officials exploiting the planet for personal gain.  Liechtenstein has also developed a Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking project that addresses the role of financial institutions in the fight against those phenomena, he detailed.

HEDDA SAMSON, Deputy Head of Delegation of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, said that transnational threats and evolving working methods of organized criminal groups, operating both offline and online, require a coordinated and targeted international response.  She urged States to fully implement the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols.  Noting that drug trafficking is the main activity of organized criminal groups within the bloc, she pointed to violent consequences of criminal networks’ acts that caused the deaths of several children in 2023.  In that regard, the European Union has enhanced its support to anti-drug-trafficking operations in West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea, she reported, also spotlighting the bloc’s cooperation with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to improve their drug policies.

Further, the European Union is negotiating international agreements for the exchange of information between Europol and a number of Latin American countries, she said.  Its Global Illicit Flows Programme is dedicated to building national capacities to counter illicit trafficking by air, land and sea, and to investigate and prosecute organized criminal groups.  In addition, the bloc supports almost 50 ongoing UNODC projects with a total contribution of more than $230 million and covers around 35 per cent of its budget.  While national authorities on the ground are on the front line in the fight against organized crime, global partnerships are paramount to ensure effective cooperation as well as information and knowledge exchange among national authorities, she asserted.

SURIYA CHINDAWONGSE (Thailand), highlighting his country’s cooperation with neighbouring States to monitor and detect the flow of transnational criminals and their activities, said that it also helps to advance the 1993 Mekong Memorandum of Understanding on Drug Control.  At the regional level, a conceptual and operational framework initiated by Thailand is becoming one of the premier tools to address transnational crimes, he reported, spotlighting its proposal to develop the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Border Management Cooperation Roadmap. Also noting that addressing human trafficking and migrant smuggling from online scam operations have become a priority for his country’s authorities, he underscored the importance of a coherent UN-wide action to combat transnational organized crime.  “Efforts at national, regional and global levels should be in sync,” he added.

THOMAS PETER ZAHNEISEN (Germany), aligning with the European Union, stressed that the Council must keep the topic on its agenda to develop the international framework to counter transnational organized crime, noting that strategies must be multidimensional and address root causes.  One such positive example is Kenya’s response to the situation in Haiti.  Other examples include projects in Honduras in response to gang violence in the region, as well as tackling illegal wildlife trafficking in Nigeria, where Germany supports the country’s in implementing its first National Strategy to Combat Wildlife and Forest Crime. Highlighting the link between transnational organized crime and terrorism, he noted that monitoring indicators such as kidnapping for ransom or cattle rustling can enable Governments to act preventatively to counter both transnational organized crime and violent extremist groups.

HARI PRABOWO (Indonesia), noting that transnational organized crime undermines the capacity of countries to respond to global security channels and that advanced digital technologies used by criminal networks transcend traditional boundaries, proposed bolstering national capabilities through capacity-building and technological cooperation.  His country approaches synergies through a “national action plan for the prevention and handling of human trafficking crimes 2020-2024”, focusing on protecting vulnerable groups.  He further cited initiatives, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) programme focusing on specific regional challenges and the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime.  It is also important to empower relevant United Nations bodies to fulfil their mandates in the domain, including through early-warning mechanisms that monitor trends in organized crime, also pinpointing global hotspots, he added.

MICHAEL IMRAN KANU (Sierra Leone) said that the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the UN Convention against Corruption, as well as the universal instruments against terrorism, provide an agreed framework to strengthen preventive measures to bring criminals to justice and mitigate the destabilizing potential of organized criminal groups.  In this regard, he stressed the importance of capacity-building and technology transfers to countries in the Global South by States with the relevant technologies and resources to do so.  He also encouraged Member States to allow joint investigation teams and cooperate to collect, share and exchange information and analysis.  Furthermore, he called for enhancing cooperation between the relevant UN agencies and regional organizations to ensure a holistic, coherent and coordinated approach to tackling transnational organized crime.

EGRISELDA ARACELY GONZÁLEZ LÓPEZ (El Salvador) said measures must be taken locally, depending on specificality in countries, and then should be stepped up on regional and international levels, based on a framework of international legal cooperation.  Her country has strengthened its legal and public policy framework to target transnational organized crime and its links with terrorism, she said.  Its Territorial Control Plan is the main public policy allowing it to confront gangs — reducing homicides and regaining public confidence.  Her country has also increased its participation in regional mechanisms.  She noted the significance of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, but called for further advances, particularly as developments in ICT are maliciously used by non-State actors.  She urged States to renew their commitments to full implementation of the youth, peace and security agenda.  She highlighted the role of ODA and the support of UN agencies, funds and programmes, particularly UNODC, in prevention, response and capacity-building.

JOAQUÍN ALBERTO PÉREZ AYESTARÁN (Venezuela) emphasized that a politicized approach to fighting transnational organized crime will never lead to the eradication of mafias but will only generate conditions that boycott cooperation.  “The issue of international migration cannot be approached from a securitization point of view, we cannot criminalize migrants,” he stressed, urging to put aside ideologies and engage in a global cooperative dialogue in the exclusive interest of the migrants.  Deploring the criminal application of so-called sanctions which are a driving factor of migratory flows, he also denounced transnational crime, calling it a generator of poverty and exclusion, which seriously undermines cooperation.  He condemned “the illegal imposition of unilateral coercive measures against sovereign States, which today impact more than one third of humanity in over 30 countries around the world”, he said.

JORGE EDUARDO FERREIRA SILA ARANDA (Portugal), associating himself with the European Union, underscored that transnational organized crime inhibits progress in achieving the 2030 Agenda.  As criminal networks expand and diversify their activities, the interlinkage between international peace and security and transnational organized crime is evident. To successfully combat the menace, global governance and international cooperation need to be strengthened, he said, spotlighting the valuable example of the Ibero-American Association of Public Prosecutors and its five-year strategic plan.  Also important is to further develop tools to heighten the understanding of the phenomenon’s nature and scale as well as to enhance effectiveness and agility of responses.  To that end, new technologies can be leveraged, while ensuring that data gathering and policy responses incorporate gender mainstreaming.  The Security Council should continue to track and seek to respond to the detrimental role that organized crime, illicit flows and markets as well as criminal actors play in conflict zones, he emphasized.

JAMES MARTIN LARSEN (Australia) said cybercrime imposes economic and social costs, disproportionately impacting some of the most vulnerable groups.  In that regard, his country is committed to negotiating a new UN Convention on Cybercrime that will benefit all countries by helping combat both the current and emerging forms of cybercrime.  As well, Australia is countering new combinations of crime types — such as the online scam centres that are built on human trafficking and forced labour — through the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime.  Because the changes in illicit drug markets must be adapted to, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats are of great importance.  Illicit financing also sits at the centre of all serious crime, including human, drug and firearm trafficking, he pointed out, calling for strong anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism financing systems.

CAROLYN RODRIGUES-BIRKETT (Guyana) noted that advances in technology, including the emergence of cryptocurrencies, have exacerbated the issue of organized crime, making it particularly challenging for developing countries to address it.  The extent to which such crimes are able to be perpetrated is symptomatic of the strength of a country’s governance system, including its State institutions.  Against this backdrop, the Security Council must continue to promote robust governance as well as enhancing the rule of law as important foundations for stable societies.  As transnational organized crime also stymies the achievement of SDGs, there must be greater collaboration at every level, including with private entities, towards strengthening law enforcement, intelligence and international legal frameworks.  It is critical to understand the core issues faced by disadvantaged groups, youth, women and girls, all negatively impacted by the menace.  Effective policies and programmes should thus be designed, she stressed, detailing her country’s strengthened legislative framework.

JOSÉ EDUARDO PEREIRA SOSA (Paraguay) said the threat posed by transnational organized crime to international peace and security is linked to the deterioration of democracy, weakening of national institutions and creation of instability and conflict.  He underscored that illegal markets provide substantial income for criminal networks, which is higher than the national budgets of many developing states, adding that coordinated international work is needed to tackle these scourges.  He pointed out the increasingly predominant role of new technologies and ICT in international security and peace, calling on States to strengthen national capabilities to fight organized criminal groups using them to their great advantage.  He said his country is an example of good practices in the joint fight against illicit drug trafficking, cooperating with Brazil and the United States Global Coalition initiative to address threats of synthetic drugs.

RYTIS PAULAUSKAS (Lithuania), speaking also for Estonia and Latvia, spotlighted the instrumentalization of migration organized by criminal smuggler networks and facilitated by State institutions in Belarus and the Russian Federation.  Since 2021, the Belarusian regime has been organizing the arrival of people from third countries to Belarus, promising them easy access to Europe. The regime has been using threats and physical force to illegally push migrants to cross borders of the Baltic region. This is an example of hybrid attacks to destabilize the region.  Such attempts by the Kremlin are also observed on the borders of the Baltic region. The international community should firmly demand that Minsk and Moscow comply with their international obligations. Moreover, the increased use of mercenaries in areas of conflict leads to heightened violence against civilians, he said, citing the Russian Federation’s private, yet State-supported and financed, military companies dispatched to engage in combat across Africa, in Syria and in Ukraine, namely the Wagner Group.

LEONOR ZALABATA TORRES (Colombia) said that transnational organized crime is at the root of much of the violence in Latin America and the Caribbean, undermining democracy itself. Efforts to combat drug trafficking, one of the main sources of income for organized crime, have failed, she said, noting that drug production and demand are at a maximum.  It is concerning that in Colombia, efforts to combat organized crime have disproportionately affected social workers, and those in vulnerable communities, she said, noting that a punitive approach has resulted in jail sentences for those in poor or rural areas, which has little effect on the drug trade, but devastating effects on the families of the imprisoned.  Against this backdrop, Colombia has created a new drug policy focusing on security and human rights, committing to addressing all types of trafficking.  Calling for increased international cooperation to prevent money-laundering, she said that her country will continue to encourage a joint solution to this transnational problem.

ZENON NGAY MUKONGO (Democratic Republic of the Congo), noting that Sub-Saharan Africa is prey to transnational organized crime, said his country has suffered for 30 years from recurring armed conflicts in the east, with more than 100 active armed groups, including the M23 (23 March Movement).  Further, the Central African region is affected by the criminal activities of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Boko Haram and others with connections to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as Da’esh — which has been active for several years in Syria, Iraq, Libya and West African countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and other States. The modus operandi of such transnational criminal groups includes human trafficking, illicit financial flows, drug trafficking, trafficking in minerals and small arms and light weapons, and cybercrime.  To face these challenges, the Security Council must support crime prevention and criminal justice, and fight the use of ICT for criminal purposes, further strengthening a more inclusive legal framework against cybercrime.

KIM SANGJIN (Republic of Korea) said a comprehensive approach is required to counter increasing transnational organized crime — one that addresses its root causes and multipliers including marginalization and exclusion.  Moreover, new technologies have rendered the task of confiscating assets difficult as criminal proceeds can be concealed through virtual assets in foreign countries. Underscoring the importance of cooperation, he said that the Republic of Korea supports the Enhancement of Crime Response Capacity and Cooperation among Southeast Asian Countries programme through its contributions to UNODC.  Part of the programme, the Southeast Asia Justice Network, facilitates cooperation in the region, and will increase intelligence- and evidence-sharing between countries. Voicing concern over illicit arms transfer despite embargoes, he underscored the role of the Council in combating the phenomenon, calling on Member States to implement their commitments, including to the Arms Trade Treaty.  The Republic of Korea will play a constructive role in facilitating international cooperation in that regard during its 2024-2025 term on the Security Council.

NJAMBI KINYUNGU (Kenya), expressing concern about the transformation of gangs into militia-like entities, warned that, fuelled by illicit activities like weapons and drug trafficking, criminal groups create parallel power structures challenging the sovereignty of legitimate Governments.  The Security Council must recognize and address this alarming trend, she stressed, underscoring the importance of effective security partnerships that facilitate capacity-building, especially for developing countries.  Stronger collaboration and coordination among relevant United Nations organs and agencies as well as regional and sub-regional organizations is equally critical, she emphasized, urging the Council to impose sanctions on known transnational criminal networks.  Turning to the establishment of a Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti that Kenya has offered to lead, she described it as a “bold and innovative measure” undertaken by the Council to address an environment prone to organized crime.  She further encouraged Member States to support the Mission in terms of personnel equipment, logistics and funding. 

MARIA DEL CARMEN SQUEFF (Argentina) said as globalization has developed, organized crime has become more globalized, with groups adapting and diversifying.  It is one of “the greatest threats to the security of States”, and is multifaceted, manifesting in the trafficking of humans, illicit trafficking of weapons, money-laundering and other activities.  She noted the need for any actions to combat it to happen with full respect for international rights law, for the alleged perpetrators and for victims. She added that there is a need for a focus on bolstering internal legal frameworks, rule of law and multilateral cooperation particularly via the exchange of information.  For effective international cooperation it is crucial to guarantee full implementation of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, she said, noting that UNODC is charged with implementing it on the ground.  She said that organized crime is constantly evolving.  It is urgent to ensure more effective efforts for coordination and managing emerging risks.

KYAW MOE TUN (Myanmar) said that a major emerging threat posed by transnational organized crime in South-East Asia is cybercrime.  Victims of human trafficking are enslaved in online scam compounds in the region, including his country, to commit investment and other scams.  The collapse of the rule of law, rampant corruption, sky-high unemployment and instability, combined with the zero legitimacy of the illegal coup in Myanmar, are perfect conditions for transnational organized crime to take root and thrive.  Such an environment has been enabled by the Myanmar military junta.  The world has clearly seen that the junta-controlled border guard forces, their commanders and junta-appointed officials have been deeply involved in maintaining online scam compounds in Laukkai in northern Shan State and Shwe Kokko in Karen State.  The victims of their organized crime are from over 46 countries, including fellow ASEAN members.  To eliminate transnational organized crime and establish seamless regional connectivity in trade, the region needs a Myanmar which is a peaceful, democratic and reliable partner for regional peace and development.  That will never happen with the current unaccountable tyrannical military.

JAMAL FARES ALROWAIEI (Bahrain) said his country has established dedicated entities to address transnational organized crime, including extremism, terrorism, money-laundering, illicit trading in drugs, humans and arms, as well as cybercrime. “We have undertaken necessary measures to prevent access to the international financial system by terrorists,” he said, adding that his country is implementing a comprehensive national strategy to achieve cybersecurity.  He urged the international community to respond to the initiative of the King of Bahrain in promoting legislative and technical cooperation to develop an international instrument that criminalizes hate speech and prevents the misuse of media to incite intolerance, extremism and terrorism.  Addressing transnational organized crime means promoting international and regional cooperation in all fields, developing capacities of law enforcement agencies, engaging in legal assistance and exchanging and promoting awareness campaigns, in particular targeting youth, he concluded.

HOANG NGUYEN NGUYEN (Viet Nam) said that transnational organized crime poses multidimensional threats to security, exploiting modern technologies to infiltrate sovereign States, incite conflicts and sabotage progress.  By providing weapons and logistical support to groups, the scourge also prolongs and exacerbates cross-regional conflicts.  Such a challenge requires international cooperation that addresses the underlying causes of conflict and poverty, he said. To that end, border control and cyberspace must be assured, and efficient information channels must be established to facilitate experience- and data-sharing.  Viet Nam has strengthened legislation to counter drug trafficking, money-laundering and other illicit activities, which are providing a more effective response to counter transnational organized crime, he said.  Regionally, the country works with partners through ASEAN to address the issue while Hanoi fulfils its obligation under the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Optional Protocols.  Only through solidarity and shared responsibility can the international community overcome such evolving threats, he said.

AMAR BENDJAMA (Algeria) pointed to growing concern in Africa about terrorist groups financed through criminal networks smuggling arms, drugs and people across borders.  Algeria’s proximity to cannabis hubs exposes the country to trafficked drugs, generating funds for terrorist attacks and destabilization. Algeria has thus committed significant resources to combat organized crime through bilateral and multilateral partnerships, such as the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation, INTERPOL and UNODC.  As the scale makes it difficult to address the menace without political solutions to regional conflicts that foster crime, the international community must prioritize African stability and governance.  International collaboration is also essential to regulate the online ecosystem exploited by organized crime, he stressed, noting that his country has established cybersecurity capacities.  Welcoming ongoing negotiations for a UN Convention on Cybercrime, he expressed belief that the forthcoming intergovernmental expert committee on the topic — chaired by Algeria — represents a vital channel in that regard.

ROBERT RAE (Canada) noted that the pandemic changed organized crime significantly as the increased role of the Internet and digital technologies allowed it to thrive against a backdrop of exponentially increasing misinformation.  In Canada, cybercrime, including ransomware, is the most persistent threat.  Organized crime thrives and contributes to political, economic and social instability and can be a catalyst for conflict terrorism — examples already cited today include Haiti, the Sahel and Myanmar.  In this context, combating corruption and promoting the rule of law are essential to address transnational crime and money-laundering.  Taking a victim-centred approach to combating organized crime has produced promising results in Canada, he said, noting that integrating a gender perspective highlights how the scourge affects groups differently and can guide Government efforts in that area consequently.

MARKOVA CONCEPCIÓN JARAMILLO (Panama) said the creation of joint investigation teams as well as the harmonization of laws and protocols facilitate more efficient responses.  In fostering partnerships, sharing intelligence and harmonizing legal frameworks, the international community can more effectively combat criminal networks and dismantle their operations, she said.  “Our region has seen an exponential growth in the illegal trafficking of migrants fostered by criminal networks — they capitalize on the vulnerability of thousands of people who are seeking to emigrate northwards in search of better living conditions,” she said, adding that over 500,000 people have passed through her country’s Darién National Park this year.  Panama is committed to combating illegal migrant trafficking and transnational organized crime, she said, urging States to eradicate this crime, based on actions that guarantee protection of victims, full and timely recovery of their rights and human dignity. 

RUCHIRA KAMBOJ (India) said when threats are global, response cannot be local, urging the international community to come together to defeat such threats.  She highlighted the need to address the growing political or State complicity to suppress the activities of transnational criminal groups.  Some States continue to provide safe havens to crime syndicates, who also harm the economy of adversary States.  Actions of such States should be held accountable.  Many States award economic citizenship to criminal offenders and provide them sanctuaries to avoid their arrests and extraditions to other countries.  In return, such criminals bring foreign currency deposits to State accomplices. This must stop.  She also stressed the need to address poor State governance and inadequate oversight over financial institutions, which are vulnerable to exploitation by terrorist organizations.  “If a trillion-dollar question is to ensure peace, do we have a peace infrastructure representative of current times,” she asked, adding that the security plumbing of 1945 will not work today.  “The Security Council of yesterday is always late today,” she said.

PAUL BERESFORD-HILL, Permanent Observer for the Sovereign Order of Malta, said the Order has proudly stood as a representative for the world’s most vulnerable for over 900 years. Reporting that human trafficking annually contributes $150 billion to criminal organizations, he noted that victims of trafficking are used for sexual exploitation and go through the transnational system of modern slavery.  “The Order of Malta has been on the front line of preventative efforts in Ukraine,” he stated, highlighting its collaboration with mobile phone carriers and telecommunication companies to disseminate information in multiple languages warning refugees of human trafficking.  Spotlighting the potential for a “major human trafficking harvest” when hostilities cease in Gaza, he echoed the concerns of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pizzaballa, stating that, unless the needs of  children in Gaza are considered, the lives of many young Palestinians will be further destroyed. 

BOLA ASAJU (Nigeria) said that transnational organized crime provides funding for criminal activities, including terrorism, armed conflict and trafficking, that have devastating impacts on individuals and communities.  Recalling Nigeria’s experience with the terrorist activities of Boko Haram and related criminal banditry, leading to a large displacement of people, she urged States to strengthen capacities of nations to hold perpetrators of organized crime accountable.  She further spotlighted the role of Governments in combating corruption within their institutions, which often facilitates crime.  Addressing the sociopolitical economy of organized crime comprehensively is essential for peace and security, she emphasized, highlighting the need to strengthen multilateral cooperation.  Equally important is educating communities about the dangers posed by these crimes, with the United Nations serving as the central platform for raising awareness.

PETER MOHAN MAITHRI PIERIS (Sri Lanka) said transnational organized crime “is one activity that will hang over our heads for generations to come if we do not wake up to the reality of what it does to our global community slowly but surely”.  He added that it is time that global law enforcement became as organized as organized crime, noting that “it is a free enterprise at its freest” and causes countless loss of lives.  He said that it poses several problems, including its global outreach, its financial impact, accompanying violence and intimidation, and the corruption it encourages.  Crime groups are ahead of States in using technology. He said what is needed is international cooperation, strong law enforcement, effective legislation and targeted efforts to dismantle organized crime.  He added that it is important to note that combating such crime is an ongoing challenge and his country continues to adapt its strategies.

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* The 9495th & 9496th Meetings were closed.