United Nations

Office on Drugs and Crime

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Organized crime UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime

Border management and cross-border crimes

Firearms manufacturing and trafficking

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Treaties and intergovernmental bodies Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime

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What we do UNTOC Implementation UNTOC Review Mechanism Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Firearms International Day against Transnational Organized Crime World Day against Trafficking in Persons CCPCJ Crime Congress

Conference of the Parties UNTOC COP Sessions Working Groups IEG CAE

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UNTOC

UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime

The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime is the world’s only global, legally binding instrument in place to combat transnational organized crime. Adopted by General Assembly resolution 55/25 of 15 November 2000, it is further supplemented by three Protocols: the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children; the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air; and the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunition.

Learn more about UNTOC

The UNTOC, also known as the Palermo Convention, was created to unite global effort and enable cooperation across borders and institutions to keep pace with transnational organized crime.

More than two decades after its adoption it is among the most ratified of the UN Conventions. Together with its three Protocols it remains the main global tool for preventing and addressing a broad range of criminal activities.

The Convention was conceptualized in a world very different from the highly interconnected, information-driven and AI enabled world we live in today, yet, it remains ever-relevant through its flexibility in application and scope in addressing a wide range of offences perpetrated by transnational organized crime thanks to its concept of "serious crime". It also concretely enables mutual legal assistance, extradition and other forms of international cooperation in criminal matters.

The Conference of the Parties to UNTOC

The Conference of the Parties to UNTOC (COP) is the world’s primary policy forum for addressing transnational organized crime at the global level.

It is the only process through which governments commit to act and cooperate against transnational organized crime by more effectively implementing the Convention and its Protocols. The work of the COP is complemented by the deliberations of its five thematic Working Groups .

Established through article 32 of the UNTOC , the COP brings together States Parties and observers every two years to increase their capacity to combat organized crime, review the implementation of UNTOC and its Protocols, and set the anti-crime agenda.

194 Parties to the Convention

With its 194 State Parties, the UNTOC is among the most widely adhered to of the UN Conventions. Our efforts continue in increasing Convention Parties to reach universal ratification.

Implementing the UNTOC

UNODC provides capacity building, online databases and knowledge resources to States along with legislative and technical assistance for the implementation of the Convention, supporting the development of anti-organized crime laws, policies and strategies, and strengthening institutions to combat transnational organized crime.

We are also making efforts to help States address new, emerging and evolving forms of organized crime, including crimes that affect the environment, organized fraud, and many others.

UNTOC Review Mechanism

Created and launched, respectively, at the 9th and 10th sessions of the COP, the Review Mechanism is the key driver in the implementation of the Convention. The Review Mechanism is a peer-review process, through which States Parties to the UNTOC review their achievements, progress and challenges in implementing the instruments.

UNODC acts as the secretariat of the process, facilitating the participation of States Parties in it and the involvement of relevant non-governmental stakeholders in line with the applicable Procedures and Rules.

Research Brief on Transnational Organized Crime 2026

Marking 25 years since the adoption of the UN Convention on Transnational Organized Crime, this brief analyses the features and dynamics of organized crime from a transnational perspective through four thematic chapters, concluding with key policy considerations for Member States.

About Us

Our team supports States in the effective and coherent implementation and review of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC). This includes the provision of technical assistance, legislative drafting support and policy guidance, the facilitation of international cooperation in criminal matters, as well as substantive and logistical support to States participating in the UNTOC Review Mechanism.

We also service the Conference of the Parties to UNTOC and its subsidiary bodies, including its Working Groups, and facilitate the Constructive Dialogues on the review process with relevant stakeholders.

In addition, we assist States in developing effective normative and policy responses to new, emerging and evolving forms of transnational organized crime, including crimes that affect the environment, organized fraud, and trafficking in cultural property. Finally, we provide legislative advisory support on the three Drug Control Conventions.

The International Day against Transnational Organized Crime

The United Nations General Assembly declared 15 November the International Day for the Prevention of and Fight against All Forms of Transnational Organized Crime, in order to raise awareness of the threats posed by transnational organized crime, to prevent and counter it, and to enhance international cooperation.

On this day each year, we take stock of the progress made, discuss outstanding challenges and commemorate those who have given their lives in the fight against transnational organized crime through events around the world.