Committee: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Agenda: Countering Transnational Smuggling

Cross cutting commitments:

● Recalling the adoption of the Protocol Against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea
and Air by General Assembly Resolution A/RES/55/25,
● Deeply concerned about the increasing levels of transnational smuggling,
● Acknowledging the efforts made by various international bodies to counter transnational
smuggling,
● Recognizing the efforts of the Bali Process Working Group on Trafficking in Persons to
promote more effective and coordinated law and justice responses to combat trafficking
in persons in the Asia-Pacific region,
● Acknowledging the role of the Dublin Group as a flexible, informal consultation and
coordination body addressing global, regional, and country-specific challenges related to
illicit drug production, trafficking, and demand,

Thematic Areas:

Sub-agenda 1: Deliberations on Dark Web and Cybercrimes and the Role of the Internet in Drug
Trafficking with special emphasis on transnational smuggling;

● The surge in cybercrimes, including hacking linked to the Dark Web, poses significant
challenges for law enforcement and cybersecurity professionals, especially in regions
with emerging technology infrastructures.
● Projects such as the EU's ITOM and the GRIDS program of the International Narcotics
Control Board have shown progress but require more extensive support and expansion.
● There is a need to focus on online monitoring, disrupting illegal markets, and increasing
the visibility of law enforcement actions to deter criminals.
 ● Mandatory guidelines for organizations to follow in order to secure their networks and
data, often enforced through regulatory agencies.
● Provisions that give law enforcement agencies the tools, authority, and resources needed
to investigate and prosecute cyber crimes effectively.
● Collaboration and information sharing among nations should be enhanced to improve
the effectiveness of cybercrime investigations and dark web operations.
● Funding for advanced cybersecurity technologies should also be increased to protect
critical infrastructure and prevent ransomware attacks.

Sub-agenda 2: Deliberation on disruption of synthetic drug trafficking networks, strengthening

legal frameworks, and bolstering counter-narcotic capacity with special emphasis on
transnational smuggling;

● The UNODC's Container Control Program (CCP) and Airport Communications Program
(AIRCOP) have merged into PCBT, focusing on improving border security agencies'
ability to detect synthetic drugs.
● Deliberation on disrupting synthetic drug trafficking networks, strengthening legal
frameworks, and bolstering counter-narcotic capacities, with a special emphasis on
combating transnational smuggling.
● Invest in training, resources, and technology for law enforcement agencies to improve
their ability to detect and intercept synthetic drugs
● Work with global partners to align strategies, share best practices, and coordinate efforts
against synthetic drug trafficking on a broader scale..
● Promote international support for the INCB (International Narcotics Control Board) to
combat the smuggling of drugs, narcotic substances, and psychotropic
substances.Increase public awareness about the dangers of synthetic drugs and the tactics
used by traffickers to prevent the spread of these substances.
● Implement advanced technologies such as drones, scanners, and surveillance cameras to
monitor borders and entry points.
● Deploy more personnel and resources to patrol borders and checkpoints, including
maritime and air surveillance.
● Help in collaboration with other countries to have joint operations and also by
coordinating legal actions.

Sub-agenda 3: Multilateralism and international cooperation with a specific focus on

Transnational Smuggling;
 ● In its 2022 report, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) highlighted the increasing
problem of money laundering linked to synthetic drugs like fentanyl and synthetic
opioids. The recommended approach is to establish international standards and
benchmarks to identify and dismantle these financial networks.
● Improving mechanisms for timely and secure information exchange can significantly
disrupt smuggling networks.
● Supporting resource-poor countries with training, technology, and financial assistance
can enhance their ability to combat smuggling effectively.
● Collaboration with the private sector, particularly in areas like shipping and finance, is
crucial for detecting and preventing smuggling activities.
● Increased funding and resources and making adequate funding for advanced equipment,
training, and personnel.

Sub-agenda 4: Discussion on oversight measures for countries with pervasive drug trafficking
and production history and track record;

● To address the lack of monitoring and control of general aviation along drug trafficking
routes, it's crucial to strengthen regional and international cooperation through initiatives
like the COLIBRI project.
● Enhance Border security measures to prevent drug smuggling and Provide training and
effective drug interdiction.
● The government of each country should ensure that it has and implements strong laws
that focus on the various aspects of drug business. Reform of judiciary is required in this
regard for arresting the individuals involved in drug crimes and protecting the judiciary
from corrupt practices.
● Formation of the specialized police forces to fight the drugs business is vital here. These
units have to be properly equipped and the staff has to be highly prepared, as emergency
situations can occur at any time. It is also crucial to prevent corruption within different
departments of law enforcement bodies as they may be involved in drug business.
● UNODC can help in advocating on the implementation of victim centered approaches
which can provide access to justice and support services including legal aid, counseling
and safe housing.
● INTERPOL cooperation is required along with intelligence and joint operations with
other states within the region. Further, international organizations basically can offer
support, training, and relevant tools aimed at strengthening the ability of weak nations.
● This can be attained through diversifying the income of the people involved in the drug
production aspect where adequate incentives are provided other than the drug business.
Another way to reduce the level of participation and subsequent demand are information
campaigns carried out by governmental and non-governmental organizations.
 ● Positive steps in the anti-drug crusade should be controlled by independent bodies so that
there would be openness in meeting the goals. Governments should also periodically
provide reports to the international organizations on the implementation of
recommendations.
● As suggested by UNODC and several scientists, the development of non-addictive
alternatives to replace addictive opioids and stimulants to reduce the dependency on
addictive drugs, which in turn will be eventually successful in reducing the addiction
cases and will lower the demand in the demand and supply chain of the transnational
drug trafficking.

Sub-agenda 5: Deliberation on legal framework to prevent migrant smuggling with emphasis on

transnational concerns;
● Addressing the already-existing loopholes in the current federal law structures of the
international community and amend these flawed laws such that they have immunity
from further penetration
● Adopt measures to require commercial transportation carriers to ascertain that all
passengers have the required travel documents.
● To counter this problem the member states need to keep improving the UNODC Early
Warning Advisory (EWA) to serve as a key knowledge hub and monitoring tool.

Sub-agenda 6: Deliberation on role of violent non state actors with special emphasis upon
transnational smuggling

● Violent non-state actors are organizations or groups that operate independently of any
state and frequently employ violence to achieve their goals. These actors can include
terrorist groups, insurgents, militias, and criminal syndicates. They often thrive in regions
where state control is weak, exploiting these conditions to establish and expand their
operations.
● Major crimes such as money laundering and smuggling of contraband articles include
cross-border operations, for which international collaboration is critical especially in the
areas collection of information, control of boundaries and policing. There are many
global, supra national and regional organizations that are very useful in the war against
smuggling syndicates, the United Nations being at the helm of all of them.
● Therefore, actions against VNSAs should not exclude the further development of the
states’ governance and law enforcement capacities, especially in the territories where
 VNSAs operate. It is not just about re-establishing security at the border but also about
focusing on the socio-economic environment which is creating such personalities.
● Therefore, it is crucial to interrupt the financial flow of VNSAs as a way of denying them
what they require. This can be done through penalties of such activities, monitoring of
bad money flows, working hand in hand with different institutions that deal with money
to fight money laundering.
● Developing countries with weak rule of law can be particularly susceptible to
Transnational Organised Crimes penetration, which can potentially weaken governance
and exacerbate corruption, further increasing mistrust on the government and institutions,
this also underscores the importance of involving involving Non-State actors and
stakeholders, an account of which can be found on UNODC’s report on Role of
Non-State Actors and Citizens in prevention of Corruption.