Topic: 2025-Combating Transnational Organized Crime
Country: Pakistan
Delegate Name: Josh Machnacki
As a nation that has felt the strain of transnational crime, its prevention is a top priority for Pakistan. Transnational crime is a significant global threat, undermining security, economies, and government stability through activities such as drug and human trafficking, money laundering, and arms smuggling. Criminals must not be allowed to continue to prosper off of destructive acts, which currently generate billions of dollars. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has led global efforts to fight transnational crime. However, more must be done to enhance cooperation and aid nations burdened by criminal networks.
Pakistan has worked closely with the UNODC for over 35 years with the purpose of addressing development challenges related to drugs and crime. This gives Pakistan valuable insight into strategies that aim to prevent transnational crime. The National Initiative Against Organized Crime (NIOC) and Center for Governance Research (CGR)-Pakistan has built a coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that work to prevent and combat organized crime in Pakistan. The CGR-Pakistan has issued policy briefs, papers, and studies in various areas of organized crime such as drug trafficking, migrant smuggling, human trafficking, cybercrimes, terrorism financing and money laundering. A study conducted on countering religious extremism in Pakistan resulted in the creation of a new National Counter Extremism Policy, which provides a framework for responding to violent extremism. Pakistan is and has been responding to the challenge of transnational crime head on, and looks forward to further international cooperation in the field.
The UNODC currently uses Country Programmes as means to assist nations in battling organized crime, terrorism, corruption, and cybercrime. These initiatives also help strengthen criminal justice systems and communicate other policy guidance, with the UNODC working closely with governments. One such program was created for Pakistan, providing in a broad sense better ability to combat cybercrime, ways to improve the criminal justice system, and border management methods. Although Country Programmes are in place for multiple countries with Pakistan, including Afghanistan and Iran, they are not universal. To combat transnational crime, Pakistan encourages such initiatives to be used on a larger scale. This would help identify areas where individual nations, and potentially international systems, can improve. Transnational Crime is not a new issue, therefore time would be wasted trying to create entirely new UN infrastructure. Instead, Pakistan recommends the expansion of already existing systems, like Country Programmes. Transnational Crime cannot be taken lightly. Pakistan calls on fellow nations to reaffirm their commitment to combating these dangers, and is ready to cooperatively attack them on an international scale.
