Vienna (Austria) - The twelfth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC COP12), saw a record of participation of non-governmental stakeholders. Highlighting this milestone and emphasizing their role to support state’s effort against organized crime, the UNODC Civil Society Unit (CSU) organized a side event titled “Uniting forces: strengthening multistakeholder collaboration against transnational organized crime”.
The event, moderated by Billy Batware, Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer, showcased effective and innovative partnerships between governments and non-government actors in the fight against organized crime, fostering proactive and preventive actions. The event focused on the Voluntary Pilot Initiatives (VPI) coordinated by the CSU, which are voluntary initiatives aimed at creating a space for dialogue and action between the government and non-governmental stakeholders at the national level, identifying country-specific priorities and implementing a common roadmap to respond to challenges posed by organized crime.
After an introductory statement by Jean-Luc Lemahieu, Director of the Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs of UNODC, on the importance of a multistakeholder engagement in the fight against organized crime, H.E. Ambassador Jose Antonio Zabalgoitia Trejo, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations in Vienna, shared the experience of Mexico in engaging non-governmental stakeholders in the VPI.
As the first country to implement a VPI, Mexico has played a pioneering role in the inclusion of civil society in the implementation of UNTOC. Ambassador Zabalgoitia Trejo stressed the key role of non-governmental stakeholders in providing feedback, data, and inputs from a grassroots level to government experts for a more comprehensive response to organized crime.
Moreover, he outlined the key role of private sector companies in the efforts against organized crime and stressed the importance of public-private partnerships. Private sector companies can have significant impact by providing governments with relevant data on organized crime, addressing the challenges of technology, and promoting sustainable businesses that align with human rights standards.
Following the opening remarks, Government Focal Points for the UNTOC Review and civil society representatives shared best practices and recommendations from the VPIs that so far have been implemented in Mexico, Pakistan, Kenya, and Angola.
Dilma Chuva and Ehsan Sadiq, Government Focal Points for the UNTOC Review in Angola and Pakistan respectively, shared their expertise regarding the implementation of the VPIs in their countries. Highlighting the impactful outcomes of the initiative, the Focal Points pointed out the important role of the National Civil Society Alliance and Associations in each country that unite stakeholders addressing organized crime at the country level. The Civil Society Alliances, a tangible outcome of the VPI, facilitate communication with the government, raise awareness about the work of non-governmental organizations, and promote coordination between stakeholders.
Mercy Mwasaru, Senior Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Interior and National Administration in Kenya, shared that one of the main challenges faced in the fight against organized crime is a lack of coordination. Criminal groups benefit from this “silo approach” that hampers communication between national agencies and relevant organizations working with affected communities. The VPIs and its collaborative approach offer concrete tools to overcome this challenge. The panellists also emphasized the value of the Constructive Dialogues following the conclusion of the UNTOC Working Groups that promote sharing of best practices.
The side-event also gave room to civil society voices, benefitting from their feedback and their experiences with working with their governments. Tariq Khosa, from the Centre for Governance Research, praised the success of the VPI in Pakistan, which brought together more than 35 civil society organizations and 65 governmental experts.
The critical role of civil society organizations in decision-making processes was reflected by Lilian Nyangasi Manasseh, from Set Free to Thrive. In Kenya, Set Free to Thrive provided policy makers with ground-level inputs through a consultative process to draft a new legislation on combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling. In this same line, Luis Eduardo Zavala from the NGO Casa Monarca in Mexico expressed the need to ignite regional and local governance along civil society and academia for states to achieve better results in combating organized crime. This can also support governments to achieve better standards of justice, freedom, and rule of law.
Closing the event, Billy Batware stated: “What the governments asked us the most is to talk with actors who disagree with them. Because it is only through honest and constructive exchanges that we can find common solutions for the collective fight against organized crime.”
