14 November 2024 Law and Crime Prevention<\/p>\n
Marking the inaugural International Day for the Prevention of and Fight against All Forms of Transnational Organised Crime on Friday, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has called for unified global efforts to counter these pervasive threats. Pillar of international cooperation<\/strong><\/span> Cocaine, deforestation, community impact<\/strong><\/span> Opium resurgence in Afghanistan<\/strong><\/span> Southeast Asia: The Golden Triangle\u2019s drug economy<\/strong><\/span> Global drug crisis<\/strong><\/span> Wildlife crimes, gold smuggling, and organised fraud are just a few examples of how these crimes converge, exploiting fragile ecosystems and vulnerable communities worldwide. People-centred approach<\/strong><\/span> Source: https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2024\/11\/1156981<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 14 November 2024 Law and Crime Prevention Marking the inaugural International Day for the Prevention of and Fight against All Forms of Transnational Organised Crime on Friday, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has called for unified global efforts to counter these pervasive threats. Proclaimed by the General Assembly in March 2024, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,32,20,119],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cocaine","category-crime-violence-prison","category-others","category-prevalence"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18310"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18310\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nProclaimed by the General Assembly in March 2024, the observance honours victims of organised crime \u2013 including law enforcement and judicial personnel who have lost their lives in pursuit of justice.
\nThe inaugural theme: Organised crime steals, corrupts and kills. It\u2019s time we pull together to push back, underscores the urgency of collective action.
\nSpeaking to UN News, Candice Welsch, UNODC Regional Representative for the Andean Region and southernmost areas of South America, emphasised the global nature of the threat: \u201cAlmost all organised crime is transnational, it does not take place within a single country, but often crosses borders within regions and even beyond.\u201d<\/strong>
\n\u201cTherefore, this UN observance aims at boosting action by governments, the private sector, civil society and the public,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\nThe UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime adopted in 2000 and ratified by 192 States, serves as the cornerstone of UNODC\u2019s efforts to combat and eventually eliminate the scourge of transnational organised crime.
\n\u201cWe are working hard to strengthen cooperation between countries so that they can share information and intelligence between police forces, or so that border agencies and prosecutors can conduct joint operations,\u201d said Ms. Welsch.
\nUNODC\u2019s efforts include bolstering local, national and international capacities to better understand and combat these challenges.<\/p>\n
\nIn the Andean region, Colombia and Ecuador face significant challenges with transnational criminal groups. Colombia\u2019s coca cultivation reached 253,000 hectares in 2023, yielding an estimated 2,664 metric tons of cocaine in 2022, according to UNODC data.
\nHowever, the issue is not confined to drug trafficking. Illegal mining, deforestation and wildlife trafficking \u2013 particularly in the Galapagos Islands \u2013 are also on the rise.
\nThese activities disrupt security for communities, exacerbate gang violence and contribute to high homicide rates, impacting indigenous communities and young people who face recruitment risks. Migrant flows through the region also make vulnerable populations susceptible to human trafficking and other abuses.
\nTo address these challenges, UNODC supports alternative development programmes for farmers reliant on coca cultivation. These initiatives promote legal crops such as coffee, cocoa, vanilla and sacha inchi, a nutrient-rich Amazonian plant.
\n\u201cWhat we are trying to do with alternative development programmes is to offer these communities ways to move towards licit economies and a more secure future,\u201d said Ms. Welsch<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
\nDespite a 2022 Taliban ban that initially reduced opium cultivation by 95 per cent, 2024 saw a 19 per cent resurgence driven by economic hardship and rising prices.
\nSince 2016, UNODC has aided over 85,000 households through alternative development initiatives, such as poultry farming projects that provide both food security and income generation for families affected by drugs.<\/p>\n
\nMyanmar has surpassed Afghanistan as the world\u2019s leading opium producer, with production rising 36 per cent in 2023.
\nCollaborating on security issues can be challenging for states, but the UN plays a crucial role in fostering dialogue
\n\u2013 Jeremy Douglas, UNODC
\nThe country also leads global methamphetamine production, which has become the dominant drug according to UNODC data, with seizures quadrupling between 2013 and 2022.
\nFurthermore, criminal groups in the Golden Triangle \u2013 Myanmar, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Thailand \u2013 have expanded into online scams, wildlife trafficking, money laundering and human trafficking.
\nIn response, UNODC has promoted regional cooperation through the establishment of approximately 120 border liaison offices to facilitate intelligence sharing and coordinated action.
\n\u201cCollaborating on security issues can be challenging for States, but the UN plays a crucial role in fostering dialogue,\u201d said Jeremy Douglas, former UNODC Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific and now Chief of Staff and Strategy Advisor to the Executive Director.<\/p>\n
\nThe impact of transnational crime extends far beyond producer countries.
\nNew synthetic drugs are on the rise, particularly in North America, which faces a fentanyl crisis, as well as in areas of Asia and Africa.
\nWestern and Central European countries, particularly those with a North Sea coastline, also face considerable challenges, with their ports becoming major entry points for cocaine.
\nIn the Sahel, illicit gold and fuel trafficking undermine governance and security and complicates sustainable development, depriving the nation of critical income.<\/p>\n
\nNevertheless, UNODC remains committed to supporting global efforts.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cDespite these challenges, there is hope,\u201d Ms. Welsch said.
\nShe highlighted the importance of public awareness campaigns targeting youth and community programmes involving parents and teachers, as well as the need to ensure that everyone who requires treatment for drug abuse can access it.
\n\u201cThe only way to overcome global problems is to galvanise international action. That is why UNODC is joining forces with partners to help secure our common future,\u201d she concluded.<\/p>\n