The 11th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) affirmed the need to harmonize implementing its three Protocols on combating human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and trafficking in firearms.
In her remarks at the conference that took place in Europe, Ghada Waly, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, shared her vision on engaging civil society in combating and preventing organized crime.
She also highlighted that the UNTOC and its Protocols represent powerful tools to build the resilience of States and societies to crime.
"It is time to step up their implementation, in the face of evolving and emerging organized crime threats.”
The session was held in a hybrid format with both in-person and online participation and brought together more than 1500 participants from 134 countries, 22 international and regional organizations, and 196 civil society organizations.
COP11 discussed the status of the implementation of the UNTOC and its three Protocols on human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and trafficking in firearms. The debate also focused on issues concerning cybercrime, crimes affecting the environment, money laundering, and the financing of terrorism.
During the 11th session, the Conference of the Parties adopted six resolutions relating to international cooperation, technical assistance, the protection of cultural property, trafficking in persons, crimes that affect the environment, and illicit manufacturing and trafficking in firearms.
At COP11, States called for a renewed commitment to further advance the UNTOC review process and emphasized the need to ensure sustainable resources to provide the UNTOC COP Secretariat’s ongoing and impartial functioning.
More than 60 side events were held on the sidelines of the 11th session of the COP.
The conference was held this year in Vienna with the participation of more than 500 civil society organizations (CSOs). Almost half of the COP11 side events were organized by or co-organized with CSOs.
The 12th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP12) will be convened on 14-18 October 2024.
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