This webstory was written by two of the participants of the UNODC Youth Consultation prior to COP12 UNTOC in October 2024, Fernanda Stephanie Rokha Sánchez-Umaña and Pablo Ponce Guillén.
20 November 2024 - When we were children, we were told we were the future —that change would come with time, a certainty that simply required patience. As young professionals, we now recognize that we are at a pivotal moment, where the questions we ask and the steps we take can create real impact. This is why our involvement in the Youth Consultation and participation in the margins of the 12th Conference of the Parties (COP12) to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) holds such significance. We are present and part of important dialogues, contributing voices that were once unheard and working in collaboration to build a shared future.
UNTOC COP12 was more than just another event on the United Nations agenda; it was a space that resonated as a milestone, marking a before and after in the participation of youth in global decisions against organized crime. With unprecedented participation, bringing together 1,400 representatives from 131 states, along with 15 intergovernmental organizations and 212 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), it became a dynamic platform where diverse voices converged, united by a shared commitment to addressing the root causes of organized crime. For the first time, young people actively contributed to the plenary with a joint statement, advocating for a systemic approach to combat crime by tackling its underlying drivers. Our message is clear: addressing symptoms alone is no longer sufficient; we must confront the deeper, structural issues at their core. To achieve this, we must foster collaborative, intergenerational cooperation, where young people and experienced leaders work together to innovate and refine conventional approaches. This collaborative approach ensures that progress is not only sustained but adaptive, paving the way for effective, long-term solutions that can continue to evolve as new challenges emerge.
As young representatives in the UNODC Youth Consultation at UNTOC COP12, we had the unique opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue and co-create shared visions. Despite our diverse geographical and cultural backgrounds—coming from 38 countries across six continents—we all share a profound understanding that organized crime transcends borders. It is a global, interdependent issue whose complexity demands solutions that go beyond local or national efforts and are truly global in scope. In this context, our geopolitical diversity became a powerful asset, enabling us to collaborate, learn from one another, and unite in our collective effort to shape a comprehensive, unified response to this pressing challenge.
This unified approach is crucial. At UNTOC COP12, we observed how politicization and geopolitical competition can dilute resolutions, such as that on environmental crime, and distract from addressing issues. While states may be tempted to use international forums to settle bilateral conflicts, organized crime does not wait for disputes to be resolved—it advances wherever it finds cracks in global cooperation.
For our region, Latin America, this reality is especially alarming. As youth civil society representatives from Chile and Mexico, we witness daily the undeniable link between environmental crimes and global security. It is not just about violence; it is about the destruction of entire ecosystems that not only devastate local communities but also threaten the planet’s climate stability. This crisis, fueled by transnational criminal networks, has made Latin America one of the most dangerous regions for environmental defenders, with a disturbing rise in activist killings in recent years. We are, therefore, not only losing biodiversity but also those brave individuals who risk their lives to protect it.
The fight against organized crime demands collaboration and learning on a scale that goes beyond borders, political divides, and generational gaps. As young people, still new to age-old rivalries, we bring fresh perspectives and innovative approaches. Yet, this alone is not enough. Youth must be recognized not as occasional participants but as essential drivers in preventing organized crime and building more inclusive and effective justice systems. Our commitment extends far beyond the conference room; we return to our communities determined to bridge the gap between global decisions and local realities, with a resilient vision that aims to create a future in which organized crime finds no foothold. Today, we are an active part of a movement seeking justice and security for all, prepared to lead the change toward a world where common welfare surpasses individual agendas.
