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Saturday, February 1, 2025

Background Guide 3

Context: This background guide was written by my brother for the first conference he ever chaired.

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Combating the Global Narcotics Trade and Transnational Organized Crime


Letter from Dias


Greetings, Delegates! 


Welcome to UNODC at HARTMUN 2024! We're thrilled to have each of you join us for what promises to be an engaging and impactful conference.  


Your dais for this year will be [redacted] as the Head Chair, with Phillip Thomas as your Co-chair. We're incredibly excited about this opportunity and sincerely hope you embrace it to discover your true potential and stretch beyond your comfort zone. As your chairs, we're not just here to facilitate the smooth working of the conference; we are dedicated to transforming this committee into a distinguished diplomatic forum where new ideas and discussions come forward. We expect all of you to facilitate beneficial debates, thoughtful discussions, and spirited participation throughout the conference while fulfilling the committee's objectives. Our goal is to ensure that every delegate not only gains valuable knowledge and skills but also leaves with a sense of satisfaction that lasts long after the debates.  


No matter if you’re a first-timer or an experienced delegate, the most important lesson that we want to give to all delegates is to take it as a learning experience more than as a competition. We expect each one of you to participate actively and not be afraid. MUN is a place for you to unleash your critical thinking skills and showcase your research and knowledge.  


Take this background guide as the foundation for your research that will equip you to participate in meaningful discussions and debates. We also recommend that you go over the Rules and Procedures to gain a better understanding of what will be expected and how you can prepare for the upcoming conference.  


All the best delegates, wishing you all a rewarding and gratifying MUN endeavour. 


[redacted] and Phillip Thomas 


About the Committee


The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) offers technical support to member states in various fields, including health, criminal justice, and public safety. This includes initiatives for drug use prevention and control, addressing transnational organised crime, and combating the illicit trafficking of drugs, humans, and arms. Additionally, UNODC focuses on prison reform, tackling corruption and money laundering, managing and recovering assets, and promoting HIV prevention among drug users and individuals in detention.  


For twenty years, UNODC has been working to enhance global safety from drugs, organised crime, corruption, and terrorism. Its mission is to promote health, security, and justice for everyone by addressing these challenges and fostering peace and sustainable well-being as preventive measures. 


Recognizing that the magnitude of these issues often exceeds the capacity of individual states, UNODC provides practical support and advocates for collaborative international efforts. This is implemented through our global programs and extensive network of field offices across all regions of the world. 


Its work mandate relies on three main pillars: 

1. Assist Member States and enhance their capacity to counteract illicit drugs, crime and terrorism by means of technical cooperation projects. 

2. Base its policy and operational decisions on a fully analytical research work on drugs and crime issues. 

3. Normative work for States for the ratification and implementation of international treaties, as well as legislative internal regulation on drugs, crime and terrorism.


Introduction to the Agenda


The Global Narcotics Trade is a global illicit trade involving the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. It is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that transcends borders, economies, and societies.  


Drug Trafficking impacts all our member countries, undermining political and economic stability, destroying lives, and harming communities. End-users and addicts often become victims of a powerful and manipulative industry. 


Drug trafficking is frequently linked to other criminal activities, such as money laundering and corruption. The same trafficking routes are exploited by criminal networks to move various illicit goods, including firearms, uncut diamonds, and live pangolins, resulting in a convergence of crime. 


Currently, global heroin consumption stands at 340 tons, with seizures adding to an annual influx of 430-450 tons into the heroin market. Of this total, about 50 tons of opium is sourced from Myanmar and the Lao People's Democratic Republic, while the majority—approximately 380 tons of heroin and morphine—comes solely from Afghan opium. Within Afghanistan, around 5 tons are both consumed and seized, leaving approximately 375 tons to be trafficked internationally through neighbouring countries. 


Transnational organised crime encompasses virtually all serious profit-motivated criminal actions of an international nature where more than one country is involved. Transnational organised crime poses a serious threat to peace and human security, leading to human rights violations and hindering the economic, social, cultural, political, and civil development of societies globally. The enormous amounts of money involved can undermine legitimate economies and directly affect governance through corruption and election manipulation. 


Every year, organised crime results in countless fatalities. This includes health issues related to drugs, violence, firearm-related deaths, and the ruthless practices of human traffickers and migrant smugglers. Millions of victims are impacted annually by the activities of these criminal organisations. 


Numerous established organised crime groups that previously did not engage in drug trafficking, including those from Russia, China, Italy, and the Balkans, are now forming connections with drug producers to create their own distribution networks and markets. This growth in drug trafficking frequently leads to significant rises in local crime and corruption, as noted by the United Nations in areas like West Africa and Central America. 


Of all the illicit products trafficked by organised crime, drug trafficking is the most (in)famous and it has received systematic attention over the last decades. There are three international drug control conventions that regulate a range of activities connected to drugs, including the production, distribution and possession of controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes. 


While drugs remain a key source of income for organised crime groups, their business models are evolving. Criminals are leveraging new technologies and networks, such as the Darknet—an encrypted online environment—that are changing the dynamics of the illicit drug trade and the participants involved (UNODC, 2017). Research indicates that organised crime groups functioning within virtual networks often have looser connections and operate in horizontal structures rather than traditional vertical hierarchies. Additionally, studies have shown that smaller groups are gaining greater importance in this landscape. 


Key Terminology 


  • Organised crime: According to INTERPOL, organised crime happens in organised crime networks that are involved in many different types of criminal activity that spans several countries. 

  •  Narcotics: Narcotics are drugs that sometimes produce pain relief, stupor or sleep, and can lead the consumer to be addicted to it. This addiction is what drives the world-wide demand for narcotics.  

  • Drug Trafficking: Drug trafficking is a global illicit trade involving the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. 

  • Money Laundering: Criminals use money laundering to hide the illegal source of their income. By passing money through complex transfers and transactions, or through a series of businesses, made to appear as legitimate business profits, “cleaning” it in the process. 

  • Smuggling: Smuggling, in simple words, is the movement of things in secret, particularly done to evade restrictions on imports and exports special to certain countries, or to evade customs duties. This can be done for any type of goods, but it is primarily a quintessential part in the narcotics trade. 

  • Transnational Organised Crime: Transnational organised crime encompasses virtually all serious profit-motivated criminal actions of an international nature where more than one country is involved. 

  • Gangs and Criminal Gangs: The label “gang” covers organisations ranging from highly sophisticated, well-organised national groups with links to other similar international groups at one end of the spectrum to more sporadic and disorganised groups at the other. Criminal gangs are a specific category of a criminal group closely linked to firearms.  

  • The Golden Triangle: The Golden Triangle includes parts of Burma, China, Laos, and Thailand. It provides ideal conditions for opium cultivation. The current oversupply has led to warehousing of huge quantities of opium, making the heroin problem in the area intractable and a spreading heroin epidemic possible. 


Key Parties Involved 


  • Mexico: Mexico has been a centre of the narcotics trade and organised crime. Mexico is a source for smuggling narcotics into the USA, mainly because of not-very-tight border regulations in the Mexico-US border. The cartels and the drug trade fuel rampant corruption and violence in Mexico, contributing to tens of thousands of homicides in the country each year. 

  • The United States of America: The United States of America is a hotbed of controversies in the drugs-and-crime arena. For the narcotics trade, the US government says that U.S. drug overdose deaths surpassed 72,000 in 2017, representing a worrying increase from the already high 2016 number. Accounting for transnational gangs, the transnational criminal organisations that operate today are more fluid, more nimble, and more diverse than ever before. Some 33,000 violent street gangs, motorcycle gangs, and prison gangs are criminally active in the U.S. today. 

  • Latin America: According to the US Department of State, The Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela make up more than three-fourths of the at-risk countries according to the narcotics trade perspective. All of this involvement in the drug trade leads to the formation of transnational drug cartels. These drug cartels have led to a lot of crime in the South American region. Many people in the South American continent are involved because they are forced to, due to the living conditions they are in. 

  • South-East Asia, and the Pacific: Southeast Asia has become a major breeding ground for transnational criminal networks emanating predominantly from China. These crime and drug challenges in Southeast Asia and the Pacific are multifaceted, and many are transnational in nature. A combination of threats posed by transnational organised crime in the manufacture, trafficking and use of illicit drugs, trafficking of persons, smuggling of migrants, and environmental crimes such as the trade of illegal timber, have been facilitated by the ease of money laundering and a relatively weak border control framework. 

  • Africa: Crime in Africa is a major socioeconomic problem caused by the uneven distribution of wealth and power, and labour surplus. Most crime in Africa is a result of poverty and high unemployment. Easy modern transportation and tourism facilitate this illegal traffic. Urbanisation and increase in alcohol and drug abuse cause an increase in violent crimes, robberies with violence, theft, and embezzlement. 


Past Actions 


  • The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime: Adopted by General Assembly resolution 55/25 of 15 November 2000, The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime is the main international instrument in the fight against transnational organised crime. The Convention represents a major step forward in the fight against transnational organised crime and signifies the recognition by Member States of the seriousness of the problems posed by it, as well as the need to foster and enhance close international cooperation in order to tackle those problems.  

  • United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988: The Convention establishes a framework to combat drug trafficking, including measures against money laundering and the misuse of precursor chemicals. It promotes international collaboration through mechanisms such as extradition, controlled deliveries, and transfer of legal proceedings. 

  • The Transnational Threat (TNT) Project: Led by the Police Division's Serious and Organized Crime (SOC) Team, this aims to assist United Nations field missions in combating transnational threats such as serious and organised crime, corruption, and violent extremism. In light of the increasing recognition of the risks posed by TNT, as emphasised by various statements and resolutions, UNPOL's role in enhancing host-State police capacity to address these challenges has become increasingly crucial. 

  • CND Res. 44/8: This strengthens international law enforcement cooperation to cope with the growing links between drug trafficking and other illicit activities involving transnational organised criminal groups.


Possible Solutions


  • Provide Training to Law Enforcements: A core component of our drug strategy is equipping police forces globally with the expertise and capabilities needed to prevent, investigate, and disrupt drug trafficking. Training is often paired with operational support to help member countries plan and execute on-the-ground operations targeting drug trafficking. For instance, regularly train law enforcement officers in the use of police tools like the RELIEF database, along with investigation methods and crime scene management techniques.

  • Collaborating with the International Court of Justice: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). Its role is to resolve legal disputes between states in accordance with international law and to provide advisory opinions. The committee could collaborate with the ICJ to strengthen existing laws on drug-related crimes, such as advocating for stricter penalties, including longer prison sentences or higher fines. While the ICJ lacks direct enforcement powers, aside from facilitating reparations for non-compliance with its rulings, both the committee and the ICJ can help raise awareness among criminals and contribute to reducing crime.

  • Multilateral Cooperation: Since its founding, international and multilateral cooperation in criminal matters has been a cornerstone of the UNODC's work. Various intergovernmental bodies have brought together practitioners, policymakers, and experts from around the world to address issues related to drugs and crime, providing member states with a platform to exchange knowledge, experience, and information. As a result, multilateral cooperation between these bodies plays a crucial role in driving concrete action through resolutions and decisions. Furthermore, advancements in technology today have greatly facilitated cooperation between international organisations, making collaboration more efficient than ever before.

  • Enhance Intelligence and Information Sharing: Enhancing intelligence and information sharing is crucial in combating organised crime, as criminal networks often operate across borders. By fostering trust among agencies, leveraging technology, standardising data formats, and promoting cross-border cooperation, law enforcement can more effectively disrupt criminal activities. Real-time intelligence sharing, joint operations, and international frameworks like INTERPOL and Europol allow for swift action and coordinated efforts. Training and robust cybersecurity protocols ensure the secure and efficient exchange of critical information. Together, these efforts strengthen global responses to organised crime and improve the ability to dismantle criminal networks.


Focusing Questions 


  • How does the ease of smuggling narcotics into the USA pose a national security problem for the USA? 

  • How can regional governments alleviate the situation of transnational gangs and organised crime? 

  • What are some security measures nations can enforce to dissolve the drug trade? 

  • How do these gangs operate and become transnational? 

  • What methods of smuggling are the hardest for nations to tackle?  

  • Why are Mexico and the Latin American countries the best breeding ground for drug manufacturers and drug cartels? 

  • How does prescribing narcotics as painkillers blame the medical industry for the worldwide narcotics trade? 

  • How do these gangs mainly operate? 

  • How can the governments of Burma, China, Laos and Thailand stop the human trafficking that happens in the Golden Triangle? 

  • What are some of the ways drug cartels market narcotics to children?  

  • How can the marketing campaign of narcotics for children be curbed? 

  • Why are transnational gangs so powerful in spreading to other countries? 

  • How do transnational gangs spread to other countries? 

  • What are some eminent transnational gangs? How do they operate?

  • How do transnational gangs contribute to the Global Narcotics Trade?


Bibliography 


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