Global trade, defined by the United Nations as an engine for inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction, hit a record $33 trillion in 2024.
And the backbone of this global trade?
Seaports and airports.
Over 90 per cent of global trade is shipped in containers, according to the World Economic Forum, with over 860 million containers moved annually. Air cargo, which makes up around 35 per cent of global trade by value, continues to grow rapidly, while air travel increased by over 10 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023.
Yet this cross-border trade, so vital to so many nations and livelihoods, is also vulnerable to organized crime and terrorist groups looking to smuggle illegal weapons, drugs, people and more.
Below, find out why effective border control is essential to our safety and global economy, and what the United Nations is doing to facilitate and protect international trade and travel.
Border crossings serve as key gateways for illicit goods, including trafficked drugs and precursors, weapons of mass destruction, falsified medical products, cultural property, counterfeit goods and other contraband. They are also transit points for high-risk passengers, such as drug traffickers and foreign terrorist fighters.
Criminals may hide their goods within shipping containers, in airfreight, their luggage or on their bodies. Or they could threaten or bribe customs, police or supply chain operators to guarantee that their smuggled goods pass undetected. Some others hack port systems or use false reference codes to redirect illicit shipments.
Limited border management capacities and cross-border cooperation leave dangerous gaps along trade and travel routes that criminal and terrorist networks are quick to exploit, directly impacting nations and consumers.
These groups are quick to adapt, embracing new partnerships and methodologies to move goods and people illegally, putting both countries and consumers at risk.
Effective border management safeguards public health by curbing the flow of illicit drugs and preventing the distribution of falsified medical products.
It increases revenue for countries by protecting and facilitating legal trade, while disrupting the revenues and operations of organized crime and terrorist actors.
Robust border control also means fewer chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons in the hands of terrorists or being sent to conflict zones. It means fewer precursor chemicals are available for the manufacturing of drugs, weapons, and other explosives.
Deterring future wildlife and hazardous waste trafficking through effective border control can also decrease deforestation and other threats to human ecosystems, health and livelihoods.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), together with the World Customs Organization (WCO) and INTERPOL, works to strengthen Member States’ ability to effectively manage air, sea and land borders. Its support enables governments to disrupt illicit flows of containers, cargo and mail and intercept high-risk passengers – all while facilitating legitimate trade and the movement of people.
Enhancing global connectivity through secure borders
It has established 192 nationally-owned cargo and passenger control units in 89 countries in 10 regions.
These units conduct risk assessments, targeting, and intercepting high-risk passengers, cargo and mail. They facilitate communication and coordination between origin, transit and destination countries and the private sector to disrupt cross-border illicit flows and criminal networks.
Adaptable to Member States’ needs and sustainable, these units form a network of formal and informal cooperation, facilitated by communications software and databases such as the WCO CENcomm and INTERPOL I-24/7.
In 2024, UNODC-supported units made the following seizures:
Image with the following text: 56 tonnes weapons, explosives, and strategic goods (items that can be used to create weapons of mass destruction) 116.2 tonnes of precursor chemicals (ingredients used to make illegal drugs) 14.1 million Pieces of medicine 316.9 tonnes of cocaine, 165 kg of heroin, 2.1 tonnes of new psychoactive substances, 26.6 tonnes of other opioids, 1.8 tonnes of amphetamine, and other drugs 9,569 tonnes of hazardous waste and 32.1 tonnes of wildlife protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
