United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is a United Nations agency that is mandated to assist Member States in their efforts to counter illicit drugs, crime, and terrorism. The UNODC was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Vienna, Austria. The UNODC has a global mandate and works in more than 90 countries, providing technical assistance and support to governments, civil society, and other partners. The UNODC’s work covers a range of areas, including drug control, crime prevention, criminal justice, and terrorism prevention. The UNODC also plays a key role in promoting the implementation of international conventions and agreements in these areas. The UNODC is headed by a Executive Director, who is appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Abused in the Search of a Better Life – The Plight of Smuggled Migrants
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Abused in the Search of a Better Life – The Plight of Smuggled Migrants

ByEyes on Trafficking News

Puntarenas, (Costa Rica), 18 February 2022 – Migrants who are smuggled through the dangerous Darien Gap region in Central America are regularly subjected to abuse, violence, and sexual assault, and women and girls are the primary victims. This week in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, experts from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), trained…

UNODC and IOM Confirm Commitment against Organized Crime
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UNODC and IOM Confirm Commitment against Organized Crime

ByEyes on Trafficking News

Vienna (Austria) 07 February 2022 – The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are longstanding allies in the global fight against human trafficking and migrant smuggling. In a recent event, the two organizations reaffirmed their commitment to the objectives of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM)…

Securing Evidence: The Key to Convictions in Human Trafficking
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Securing Evidence: The Key to Convictions in Human Trafficking

ByEyes on Trafficking News

Belgrade, (Serbia) 18 – 20 January 2022 – Human trafficking is a global and widespread crime, but despite its prevalence research shows persistent low levels of prosecutions and convictions of traffickers. Data from the latest Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, produced by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), showed that in 2018…

International Migrants Day
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International Migrants Day

ByEyes on Trafficking News

Vienna (Austria) 18 December 2021 – As the world marks International Migrants Day, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) urges countries to uphold human rights while combatting the criminal networks who smuggle migrants for profit. Further calls are for better access to pathways for regular migration, an adherence to obligations that are…

Nigeria Takes Steps to Stop Migrant Smuggling
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Nigeria Takes Steps to Stop Migrant Smuggling

ByEyes on Trafficking News

Abuja (Nigeria) 16 December 2021 – The smuggling of migrants is a big business in Nigeria with criminal networks charging large sums of money to move people in and out of the West African country or facilitate their transit. In recognition of the  magnitude of this crime, its impact on the security of the country…

Countries Unite to Tackle Smuggling of Migrants in South Eastern Europe
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Countries Unite to Tackle Smuggling of Migrants in South Eastern Europe

ByEyes on Trafficking News

Skopje, (North Macedonia) 9-10 December 2021 – Crimes that cross borders can only be stopped through cross border cooperation. This was the main message of the Regional Expert Group Meeting on countering migrant smuggling in Skopje, North Macedonia. The event, which was organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the…

Migrant Smuggling on the United Nations Intergovernmental Agenda
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Migrant Smuggling on the United Nations Intergovernmental Agenda

ByEyes on Trafficking News

Vienna (Austria) 8 December 2021 – The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ), the United Nations’ main policymaking body on crime prevention and criminal justice, held its annual thematic discussion on 8 December 2021.

2021 Working Groups on Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants
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2021 Working Groups on Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants

ByEyes on Trafficking News

The 2021 Working Groups on Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants brought together over 800 delegates from more than 100 countries to discuss a variety of current issues relating to these global crimes.

New Project to Counter Migrant Smuggling
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New Project to Counter Migrant Smuggling

ByEyes on Trafficking News

Vienna (Austria) 2 November 2021 – A two-year project to combat organized crime groups that smuggle migrants over multiple continents to North America is underway in thirteen countries. The STARSOM initiative will support States along the main smuggling routes to work together to respond to migrant smuggling while protecting the lives and upholding the rights…