UNODC & CIVIL SOCIETY

Enabling engagement of non-governmental stakeholders in crime prevention

UNODC acknowledges the need to promote strong partnerships with relevant stakeholders in dealing with the complex issues of crime which undermines the fabric of society. The active involvement of civil society, academics and the private sector is essential to help UNODC carry out its global mandates under the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) and the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC).

UNODC Civil Society Unit facilitates, active and meaningful participation of non-governmental stakeholders in intergovernmental sessions of the CCPCJ, the UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, and the Conference of the Parties to UNTOC.

Through activities aimed at facilitating stakeholder engagement for UNTOC and its Review Mechanism, UNODC Civil Society Unit works to facilitate effective partnerships between NGOs, academia and private sector with Member States in accordance with established mandates and rules.

Since 2019 the UNODC Civil Society Unit has trained over 5000 stakeholders through project Stakeholder Engagement for the Implementation of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), “SE4U” in short. The project fostered collaboration between governments and non-governmental stakeholders through training, information sharing, dialogue at international level, and regional and national engagement opportunities.

Self-paced courses

CSU designed a series of self-paced online courses to increase the capacities and knowledge of non-governmental stakeholders to engage in the Implementation of the UNTOC and its Review Mechanism. The courses aim to introduce participants to the UNTOC and the Review Mechanism, and provide practical information about entry points, ways to contribute, tools for engagement, and creating partnerships against organized crime at national, regional, and global levels.
Two courses are currently available:

Introductory course on UNTOC and its Review Mechanism

The aim of this course is to:

Equip non-governmental stakeholders with knowledge about UNTOC and its supplementing Protocols.
Provide practical information about entry points and tools for engagement of non-governmental stakeholders in the Review Mechanism.
Stimulate the sharing of experiences, networking and collaborative initiatives addressing organized crime at national, regional, and global levels.

2. Intermediate course: Instruments and Processes for UNTOC Review

The aim of this course is to:

Introduce participants to the country review process.
Familiarize participants with the structure of the self-assessment questionnaire and practice possible responses and contributions to it, when given the opportunity to do so by national Governments.

For any additional information please contact unodc-se4u@un.org.

Workshops

The workshops are aimed at preparing NGOs, academics and the private sector for practical and constructive participation in the implementation of UNTOC and its Review Mechanism, including a component on how they can collaboratively work with Member States. The main objective of the workshop is to provide space for stakeholders to co-create solutions and build networks and alliances. Each workshop aims to:

Strengthen the capacity and knowledge of stakeholders outside the public sector (CSOs, academics, and the private sector) to contribute to the implementation of UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and its Review Mechanism.
Co-create solutions to support European governments in preventing and combating organized crime, including efforts that address the nexus between organized crime, corruption, and cybercrime.
Strengthen collaboration through Civil Society Regional Networks and National Alliances. The networks and alliances are essential in supporting the coordination and contributions of CSOs, academics, and the private sector in the fight against organized crime. More information about networks already established is available here.

For any additional information please contact us at unodc-se4u@un.org.

Constructive Dialogues

The objective of the Constructive Dialogues is to brief participants on the development and outcomes of the review process; Collect inputs and suggestions from participants, including their contributions on ways to improve the implementation of the Convention and the Protocols thereto; and foster cooperation with non-governmental organizations to combat transnational organized crime and to promote and review the implementation of this Convention. You can find more information here.

Stakeholder Engagement at National Level (Voluntary Pilot Initiatives)

Translating the UNTOC provisions into impactful actions require close collaboration between Member States and non-governmental stakeholders at the national level. The CSU has supported "Voluntary Pilot initiatives” (VPIs) in five countries, enabling governments, Civil Society Organizations, academia and the private sector to:

Work together on country-specific priorities to ensure a comprehensive response to transnational organized crime within the framework of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the Protocols.
Increase collaboration on the review process.

Useful Resources

United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC)

The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) Review Mechanism - Video

Engaging Non-Governmental Stakeholders in the Self-Assessment Phase of the UNTOC Review Mechanism - Video

The Additional Resources PDF document, which explains a lot about the background of Engaging Non-Governmental Stakeholders in the Self-Assessment Phase of the UNTOC Review Mechanism.

The joint UNODC GI-TOC Guide for civil society community engaging with the UNTOC Review Mechanism: Arabic, French, English, and Spanish.

For more useful resources please visit the WhatsOn Knowledge Resource Database.

Briefing Paper on Civil Society Contributions and Linkages between Corruption and Transnational Organized Crime in Southern Africa.

SAQ questions relevant for non-governmental stakeholders

Knowledge Hub - WhatsOn

The UNODC online knowledge hub WhatsOn is a platform designed to bring together relevant stakeholders in the fight against transnational organized crime as well as corruption, including non-governmental organizations, academia and the private sector. The multi-stakeholder platform allows for networking and knowledge exchange, and contains relevant resources on counter-organized crime and anti-corruption.

WhatsOn is part of the UNODC project entitled “Stakeholder Engagement for the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) – SE4U, its review mechanism and related activities,” implemented to support Resolution 9/1 of the Conference of Parties to UNTOC, adopted on 19 October 2018.

WhatsOn is a secure space for the involvement of non-governmental stakeholders, enabling networking, information sharing and interaction in order to foster partnership and amplify action of stakeholders against organised crime.

Currently more than 450 Civil Society Organizations are registered on WhatsOn. If you are an NGO, academic or private sector, register here to join the WhatsOn.