21 October 2026 07:12 UTC · UK Government · GOV.UK Speech · Read original source ↗ · Email X Link

UK Government Outlines Priorities at United Nations Organised Crime Conference

Key points

The United Kingdom announces a further £1.5 million contribution to UNODC this year.
The United Kingdom emphasizes disrupting financial and enabling structures that allow organised crime to thrive.

TL;DR

The United Kingdom states that criminal networks continue to evolve and exploit global connectivity.

Original text

Chair, Executive Director, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, The United Kingdom is pleased to participate in the Thirteenth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. Criminal networks continue to evolve in scale, sophistication and reach. They exploit conflict, instability, technology and global connectivity to generate illicit profits, undermine governance and threaten our collective security and prosperity. No State can address these threats alone. The Convention and its Protocols remain the cornerstone of the international response and the framework for international cooperation against organised crime. Our priority must be their full and effective implementation, delivering stronger operational cooperation and practical results. We welcome UNODC’s support to Member States to strengthen international cooperation and develop practical responses to organised crime. Building on the Fifteenth United Nations Crime Congress and the Abu Dhabi Declaration, we must now translate those commitments into action. The United Kingdom continues to invest in strengthening the global response to organised crime, including through a further £1.5 million contribution to UNODC this year. At a time of acute financial pressure, resources must be used efficiently and directed towards agreed priorities with the greatest impact. A key UK priority is disrupting the financial and enabling structures that allow organised crime to thrive. Corruption, bribery, money laundering and illicit financial flows are the lifeblood of criminal networks and must be tackled if we are to dismantle their business models. We remain committed to combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling, through victim-centred and gender-responsive approaches. The United Kingdom is committed to tackling all forms of violence against women and girls, including technology-facilitated abuse. The links between organised crime, illicit finance, corruption, trafficking, fraud, cyber-enabled crime and environmental crime are increasingly clear. We stand ready to work with Member States and UNODC to strengthen implementation, deepen operational cooperation and deliver practical results against these evolving threats. Thank you.

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Abu Dhabi