UNODC Engagement with Civil Society on Drugs and Crime

UNODC recognizes the need to promote strong partnerships with civil society organizations in dealing with the complex issues of drug abuse and crime which undermine the fabric of society. The active involvement of civil society, which includes NGOs, community groups, labour unions, indigenous groups, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations and foundations is essential to help UNODC carry out its global mandates.

Through GLOU68, UNODC Civil Society Team (CST) is the main entry point for non-governmental stakeholders and serves as a bridge between these stakeholders and UNODC substantive offices, field offices and Member States. Located within the Office of the Director for the Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs of UNODC, the CST carries out the following main functions:

Supporting the participation of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in intergovernmental meetings, in line with relevant UNODC mandates and rules of procedure for the respective intergovernmental bodies
Building capacity of non-governmental stakeholders to help them improve their knowledge of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the Protocols Thereto, and related International Drug Policy Instruments. It does so together with relevant substantive offices
Maintaining a database of non-governmental stakeholders

The CST carries out these functions in close collaboration with relevant UNODC substantive offices, including Crime and Economic Branch, Organized Crime Branch, Drug Prevention and Health Branch, the Secretariat to the Governing Bodies, and relevant Field Offices. The CST also partners with umbrella organizations such as the UNCAC Coalition, Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs, and the Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.

A guide for NGO participation in the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) is available here.

Highlights

UNODC together with EBRD support civil society anti-corruption initiatives in Central Asia

UNODC together with EBRD met with members of the Anti-Corruption Agency and other relevant national counterparts to discuss existing and potential avenues for cooperation. Read more here.

Read all CSU stories here

UNODC promotes public-private partnerships to tackle trafficking in persons

Through a side event on „Preventing trafficking in persons through public-private partnerships: Promising practices”, UNODC built momentum in fostering closer engagement between the private sector, governments and relevant civil society... Read more here.

News

Launch of the UNODC Compendium on PPP to Prevent & Counter TIP

The Compendium on PPP to Prevent & Counter TIP aims to improve effective partnership between the public and private sectors with a view to better assisting member States in their implementation of the UNTOC and its Trafficking in Persons Protocol. It presents the main findings and insights from four Regional Expert Group Meetings organized by UNODC, focusing on PPPs as they relate to countering trafficking in persons from within the supply chain, financial and technology sectors.