UNODC monitors and analyses global and regional developments in drug trafficking based on regular reporting from Member States, the monitoring of open sources and first-hand information from structured interviews or similar exercises.
Research on drug trafficking contributes to provide an overall picture of the illicit drug supply chain. It covers aspects such as trafficking routes and flows, latest trends and emerging patterns in drug trafficking and drug distribution, criminal actors involved in drug supply and modi operandi employed.
Consisting of five separate booklets, the World Drug Report 2022 provides an in-depth analysis of global drug markets and examines the nexus between drugs and the environment within the bigger picture of the Sustainable Development Goals, climate change and environmental sustainability.
Booklet 1 summarizes the four subsequent booklets by reviewing their key findings and highlighting policy implications based on their conclusions.
Booklet 2 provides an overview of the global demand for and supply of drugs, including an analysis of the relationship between illicit drug economies and situations of conflict and weak rule of law.
Booklet 3 reviews the latest trends in the global markets for opioids and cannabis at the global and regional levels, and includes a discussion of the potential impact of changes in opium poppy cultivation and opium production in Afghanistan, and an analysis of early indications of the impact of cannabis legalization on public health, public safety, market dynamics and criminal justice responses in selected jurisdictions.
Booklet 4 presents the latest trends in and estimates of the markets for various stimulants – cocaine, amphetamines and “ecstasy” – and new psychoactive substances, both at the global level and in the most affected subregions, including an analysis of different coca bush eradication strategies and a focus on the expansion of the methamphetamine market in South-West Asia.
Booklet 5 delves into the nexus between drugs and the environment, providing a comprehensive overview of the current state of research into the direct and indirect effects of illicit drug crop cultivation and drug manufacture, as well as drug policy responses on the environment.The UNODC Afghan Opiate Trade Project (AOTP) aims to address the need for systematic, comprehensive and consolidated analytical information about trends in the global illicit Afghan opiate trade in order to monitor and achieve a better understanding of the global impact of Afghan opiates.
The UNODC research on cocaine markets aims to monitor and analyse trends in the supply and demand of cocaine at national, regional and global levels to identify emerging threats and assess potential future developments, ultimately enabling a pre-emptive response implemented with foresight.
The UNODC Global Synthetics Monitoring: Analyses, Reporting and Trends (SMART) programme works with Governments to assist them in generating and analysing data on the situation with respect to synthetic drugs, in particular amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) and new psychoactive substances (NPS).
The UNODC Drugs Monitoring Platform (DMP) is a common system for collecting, visualizing and sharing drug data. The DMP aims to provide access to real-time data on drug trafficking trends at the micro and macro level, deliver data using interactive visualizations adapted to user specific needs and improve early warning drug threat identification.
Besides its activities on drug trafficking, UNODC research on drug supply also encompasses activities to assess and monitor drug cultivation, production and manufacture at national, regional and international levels.
Besides its activities on drug trafficking, UNODC research on drug markets also encompasses activities to monitor and analyse drug use and patterns of use at national, regional and international levels.
UNODC regularly updates global statistical series on drugs, including on drug trafficking (drug seizures, drug prices, drug purity, drug-related arrests). These data are available at dataUNODC
Following an extensive review of the current data collection instrument on drugs, the Annual Report Questionnaire, the UNODC, in consultation with experts from the Member States and international organisations, is preparing a revised Annual Report Questionnaire, which will be implemented from 2021.
28-30 August 2019, Second Expert Working Group on improving drug statistics and strengthening the Annual Report Questionnaire (ARQ)
29-31 January 2018, Expert Working Group on Improving Drug Statistics and Strengthening the Annual Report Questionnaire (ARQ)
