United Kingdom National Statement to UNTOC COP 13

The United Kingdom addressed the Thirteenth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, highlighting the growing scale and sophistication of criminal networks. These groups exploit conflict, instability, technology, and global connectivity to generate illicit profits and undermine governance. The UK stressed that no single state can address these threats independently, underscoring the need for international cooperation.

The Convention and its Protocols remain central to the global response, with the UK calling for their full and effective implementation. The UK welcomed UNODC’s support for Member States in strengthening cooperation and developing practical responses to organized crime. It emphasized translating commitments from the Fifteenth United Nations Crime Congress and the Abu Dhabi Declaration into actionable measures.

The UK announced a further £1.5 million contribution to UNODC to bolster efforts against organized crime amid financial constraints. It highlighted the importance of directing resources efficiently toward priorities with the greatest impact, particularly disrupting the financial and enabling structures that sustain criminal networks.

A key focus for the UK is tackling corruption, bribery, money laundering, and illicit financial flows, which fuel organized crime. The UK also reaffirmed its commitment to combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling through victim-centered and gender-responsive approaches. It emphasized addressing technology-facilitated abuse and the links between organized crime, illicit finance, corruption, trafficking, fraud, cyber-enabled crime, and environmental crime.