Director-General/Executive Director
Your Excellency, Mr. Alexander Van der Bellen, President of the Federal Republic of Austria,
Your Excellency, Mr. Sergio Mattarella, President of the Republic of Italy,
Distinguished guests,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is my honour to welcome you all on this important occasion, as we mark the 25th anniversary of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime – the UNTOC.
I would like to thank His Excellency the President of Austria for being with us today.
As our gracious host country, Austria has always been a place where dialogue finds a voice and diplomacy finds a home.
It is a country with a rich and proud tradition of multilateralism, as reflected in its longstanding partnership with the United Nations.
It was here in Vienna where the UNTOC was negotiated and finalized in the year 2000, so it is only fitting it is here that we renew our commitment to its purpose and its promise.
And it was here in Vienna, 25 years later, that the UN Convention against Cybercrime was negotiated, and which recently secured 72 signatures, another remarkable success for multilateralism and proof that the spirit of Palermo is still alive in our digital age.
I would also like to warmly welcome His Excellency the President of Italy, representing the country and indeed the city where the UNTOC was signed, and which you, Mr. President, proudly call home.
Palermo’s story is one of resilience, courage, and tragic sacrifice in the struggle against one of the most vicious organized crime groups in history: the mafia.
That is why, as we reflect on this anniversary, we also pay tribute to those who gave everything to bring the Convention to life.
Judges Paolo Borsellino and Giovanni Falcone were two such heroes – men of principle who lived for justice and died for it.
Judge Falcone represented Italy at the very first session of the CCPCJ in 1992 and was murdered just one month later for daring to believe that the law could defeat lawlessness.
His portrait, displayed here today, is a timeless reminder that justice does not die with those who defend it, it lives on in what they inspire.
And I remember visiting Falcone’s memorial in Palermo in 2023, where I was deeply moved by the memory of his conviction and the enduring strength of a city that has turned loss into legacy.
This legacy has been carried forward through the Palermo Convention, and through Italy’s commitment to the fight against organized crime, as a steadfast supporter of UNODC’s work and a global leader in promoting justice and the rule of law.
Excellencies,
Twenty-five years ago, the world recognized transnational organized crime as a growing threat to peace, security, and prosperity, and countries set aside their differences to tackle it together.
After two years of negotiations, and through determined political will, history was made in Palermo, as 124 countries signed the Convention – one of the highest numbers of signatories for any UN treaty in history.
Today, the UNTOC stands stronger than ever with 194 Parties, a near-universal expression of the world’s commitment to the rule of law.
The Palermo Convention truly transformed international responses to organized crime.
It gave countries a common language to define and confront organized criminal groups.
It provided a framework to criminalize serious offences, while establishing measures for the protection of victims and witnesses.
It built bridges where there were once barriers, facilitating mutual legal assistance, extradition requests, and joint investigations.
It extended its reach through three additional protocols, on human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and illicit firearms.
And it has gone on to inspire and inform other global instruments such as the UN Convention against Corruption – the UNCAC – and the newly endorsed Cybercrime Convention.
The UNTOC stands as a cornerstone of our international legal framework, and as its guardian, UNODC has been working to bring the Convention’s vision to life.
We have supported ratification, including most recently with Somalia and the Islamic Republic of Iran joining this year.
We have supported implementation through the Review Mechanism adopted in 2018 thanks to Italy’s leadership.
121 country reviews are currently under way, 20 per cent more compared to last year, reflecting growing engagement and commitment.
We have also responded to over 700 requests for assistance since 2020 and trained over 3,500 government representatives to make full use of the mechanism.
And we are providing legislative and policy guidance, helping countries align laws, develop strategies, and build networks for cooperation, to bring us closer to fulfilling the promise of Palermo.
Distinguished representatives,
While we have come a long way over the past 25 years, we must also recognize that the world today has changed dramatically since the Convention was born.
Organized crime is more connected, more sophisticated, more profitable, and more dangerous than ever before.
Between 2000 and 2023, it has claimed an average of 95,000 lives each year, exceeding the average killed by armed conflict in the same period.
It is responsible for nearly three-quarters of detected human trafficking cases, inflicting horrific violence on women and coercing children into forced labour.
Its economic impact, though difficult to measure precisely, is estimated to be in the trillions of dollars each year, siphoning resources from economies, undermining development, and eroding public trust.
And its reach is felt in every region.
In South America, record-high cocaine production, driven by surging demand in Europe, is fuelling violence and destroying livelihoods.
In West Africa, criminal groups are moving minerals, money, and munitions across borders with impunity, fanning the flames of conflict.
In the Near and Middle East, the Captagon trade continues to destabilize the region, financing corruption and criminal networks.
And in Southeast Asia, syndicate groups launder drug proceeds through illegal casinos and exploit people to run scams on a global scale.
Meanwhile, cybercrime is draining billions from our economies, while cryptocurrencies are moving illicit funds across jurisdictions, buried under layers of code and anonymity.
AI is being misused to spread child exploitation material and engineer online fraud, and modern 3D printers can now forge weapons using software instead of steel.
Excellencies,
If we are to meet these challenges, we must adapt to the times, and to do that we must breathe new life into the UNTOC.
The Convention’s greatest strength lies in its power to create a level playing field, where justice is defined by one set of rules for all; where criminals and their profits have nowhere to hide; and where victims and witnesses have nothing to fear.
Its broad provisions can be shaped to confront new and emerging threats, from darknet drug markets to crimes that affect the environment, and much more.
The new Cybercrime Convention, with its future-proof framework, can further build on the UNTOC and extend cooperation into the digital sphere.
We must support and strengthen the UNTOC Review Mechanism by fostering more engagement and efficiency, to better identify and close gaps in implementation.
We must also focus on following the money, and this year’s International Day against Transnational Organized Crime specifically calls for action to cut off the profits behind organized crime.
And we must continue to work through multilateral platforms that bring governments, experts, civil society, and the private sector together.
The upcoming UNCAC CoSP, the Global Fraud Summit, and the 15th UN Crime Congress will be important opportunities to chart a path forward for justice and integrity in the digital age.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Before I close, allow me to end on a more personal note, as it is one of the last times I address you as Executive Director of UNODC.
Serving in this role has been one of the greatest honours of my career.
Working alongside so many of you – Member State representatives, colleagues, partners, and friends – has been a profound privilege, and I am especially grateful for all your trust and support.
Over these past six years, I have witnessed the bravery of those who stand up to crime, the resilience of victims who refuse to be silenced, and the quiet determination of international public servants who believe deeply in the mission of the United Nations.
Their spirit – and yours – is what gives life and meaning to our work.
Let us draw strength from that spirit – and from the courage, purpose, and unity that inspired action in Palermo 25 years ago – to keep the vision of the UNTOC alive today and for generations to come.
Thank you.
