According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around two billion people globally lack access to medical products including medicine, vaccines and medical devices, among others, which has led to growing health needs often treated by falsified medical products (FMPs). Moreover, the ability to purchase medicine online has further fueled this increasing problem as e-commerce and the “dark web” further facilitate the rapid purchase and distribution of medicine globally. In this regard, FMPs are significantly more likely to reach patients, clinics and pharmacies in countries in West and Central Africa, where access to healthcare and necessary medical products is both scarce and largely inaccessible.
UNODC has been working on combating FMP manufacturing and trafficking for eight years, leveraging substantial expertise and fostering valuable partnerships. In 2020, the Conference of the Parties to the Organized Crime Convention passed Resolution 10/5, on Preventing and combating the manufacturing of and trafficking in falsified medical products as forms of transnational organized crime1 that provides a strong mandate for UNODC and highlights the need to collaborate with the WHO and many other stakeholders.
In this respect, the Passenger and Cargo Border Team (PCBT) of UNODC Border Management Branch (BMB) decided to bring law enforcement and public health professionals together, as a crucial step toward combatting the FMP trafficking. In close cooperation with the UNODC Regional Hub Against Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) in West and Central Africa and the UNODC Global Programme on Criminal Networks Disruption (GPCD), and with generous funding from the Government of Germany, UNODC PCBT/AIRCOP facilitated the implementation of the Regional Workshop on Border Management and Trafficking of Falsified Medical Products.
This workshop brought together law enforcement officers from the Joint Interdiction Task Forces (JAITFs) and Port Control Units (PCUs) of Benin, Cameroun, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and Senegal, health professionals and experts from the WHO and key private sector actors such as pharmaceutical and shipping industry representatives. Task forces and units from each country presented key statistics and trends related to their seizures of FMPs, including their processes related to post-seizure investigations and the persistent challenges they face.
Experts from WHO provided in-depth knowledge on legal frameworks and risk indicators related to the illicit movement and distribution of FMPs, including special modules on the critical social and public health impacts. Participants engaged in discussions on cross-cutting regional trends related to the trafficking of falsified medicine, as well as operational procedures related to the handling of falsified medical products, data protection and multistakeholder cooperation.
The Research Section of the UNODC Regional Office for West and Central Africa presented key points from the Transnational Organized Crime Threat Assessment – Sahel (TOCTA Sahel) report on falsified medical products, which provided important insights on the current trafficking situation in the sub-region.
Opening remarks were delivered by representatives of the delegation of Germany to Cote d’Ivoire (the total Regional Hub against TOC in West and Central Africa funder), the Secretary General of the Ivoirian Comité Interministériel de Lutte Anti-Drogue (CILAD), as well as the Regional Hub against TOC’s manager and head of the UNODC’s Programme Office in Côte d'Ivoire (POCIV), who emphasized the need for enhanced cross-sectoral and regional cooperation related to the trafficking of FMPs. A representative from the European Union delegation in Cote d’Ivoire, the main funding partner of PCBT/AIRCOP, was also in attendance.
In line with the concrete and operational aspect of PCBT/AIRCOP and CCP implementation, the regional workshop was followed by a 1,5-day workshop delivered jointly with GPCD on the recently published UNODC Training Guide on the Detection and Investigation of Falsified Medical Products. Participants from JAITFs and PCUs were guided through the training guide by an expert, during which they were able to ask questions related to its operational application in their respective national contexts.
UNODC looks forward to continuing its efforts in building bridges between law enforcement, public health professionals and key private sector actors, in order to strengthen regional and national efforts in combatting the trafficking of FMPs in West and Central Africa.
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AIRCOP, part of the European Union Global Illicit Flows Programme, is a multi-agency programme implemented by the Passenger and Cargo Border Team (PCBT) of UNODC in partnership with INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO). Its primary objective is to enhance the capabilities of international airports in identifying and intercepting high-risk individuals, cargo and mail, thereby contributing to the fight against all forms of transnational organized crime by air.
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The UNODC Programme Office in Cote d’Ivoire (POCIV) has been established by the Regional Office for West and Central Africa of the UNODC in 2022 and aims at extending UNODC’s presence in Côte d'Ivoire and strengthening networks of criminal justice practitioners in West and Central Africa to combat transnational organized crime. Notably, the "Regional Hub against Transnational Organized Crime Project," funded by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs since November 2021, has significantly reinforced UNODC's assistance in the region.
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Established in April 2022 within the UNODC BMB, the Global Programme on Criminal Network Disruption (GPCD) unifies various projects to strengthen worldwide collaboration against transnational organized crime. The programme focuses on intelligence-driven strategies to counter threats, provides operational assistance and works towards disrupting criminal networks.
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1 www.unodc.org/documents/treaties/UNTOC/COP/SESSION_10/Resolutions/Resolution_10_5_-_English.pdf