OSCE Secretary General discusses tackling organized crime and drugs trafficking with UNODC

Meeting with the Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Yury Fedotov, on 22 December 2011 in Vienna, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier discussed the prospects for closer co-operation to tackle organized crime and drugs trafficking.

The two organizations will co-operate in combating transnational threats, with a particular focus on drugs, illicit weapons and terrorism. The aim is to improve co-ordination in the field, learn from successful programmes to develop best practices, conduct expert-level consultations on common issues, undertake joint assessments such as in opiates trafficking in priority countries, and co-operate in implementing regional initiatives, including the recently launched UNODC-led Regional Programme for Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries.

Other areas of planned co-operation include countering transnational organized crime, corruption and money laundering, as well as combating human trafficking, irregular migration and the smuggling of migrants.

The two organizations will also promote the OSCE participating States’ ratification of international protocols such as the UN Firearms Protocol and the implementation of the OSCE Document on Small Arms and Light Weapons.