UNODC & CIVIL SOCIETY

Engagement of non-governmental stakeholders in crime prevention

UNODC acknowledges the need to promote strong partnerships with relevant stakeholders in dealing with the complex issues of crime which undermines the fabric of society. The active involvement of civil society, academics and the private sector is essential to help UNODC carry out its global mandates under the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) and the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC).

UNODC Civil Society Team facilitates, active and meaningful participation of civil society in intergovernmental sessions of the CCPCJ, the UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, and the Conference of the Parties to UNTOC.

Through projects “Stakeholder Engagement for the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), its Review Mechanism and Related Activities” and “Public-private partnerships: Fostering engagement with the private sector on the implementation of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and its Trafficking in Persons Protocol”, UNODC Civil Society Team works to prepare and improve effective partnerships between NGOs, academia and private sector with a view to supporting Member States in a successful implementation of the UNTOC and constructive engagement in the Review Mechanism in line with UNTOC COP Resolution 9/1.

In 2019 the UNODC Civil Society Unit launched a project Stakeholder Engagement for the Implementation of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), “SE4U” in short. The project fosters collaboration between governments and non-governmental stakeholders through training, information sharing, dialogue at international level, and national engagement opportunities. Watch the video to learn about the SE4U.

SE4U Self-paced courses

As part of the SE4U project, formally known as “Stakeholder Engagement for the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), its Review Mechanism and Related Activities”, CSU designed a series of self-paced online courses to increase the capacities and knowledge of non-governmental stakeholders in the context of their engagement in the Implementation of the UNTOC Review Mechanism. The courses aim to introduce participants to the UNTOC and the Review Mechanism, and provide practical information about entry points, ways to contribute, tools for engagement, and creating partnerships against organized crime at national, regional, and global levels.
Two courses are currently available:

Introductory course on UNTOC and its Review Mechanism

The aim of this course is to:

Equip non-governmental stakeholders with knowledge about UNTOC and its supplementing Protocols.
Provide practical information about entry points and tools for engagement of non-governmental stakeholders in the Review Mechanism.
Stimulate the sharing of experiences, networking and collaborative initiatives addressing organized crime at national, regional, and global levels.

2. Intermediate course: Instruments and Processes for UNTOC Review

The aim of this course is to:

Introduce participants to the country review process.
Familiarize participants with the structure of the self-assessment questionnaire and practice possible responses and contributions to it, when given the opportunity to do so by national Governments.

For any additional information please contact us at unodc-se4u@un.org.

SE4U Workshops

As part of project “Stakeholder Engagement for the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), its Review Mechanism and Related Activities”, Stakeholder Engagement for UNTOC (SE4U) workshops are aimed at preparing NGOs, academics and the private sector for constructive participation in the UNTOC Review Mechanism, including a component on how they can collaboratively work with Member States. The main objective of the workshop is to increase knowledge of NGOs, academics and the private sector on UNTOC and its Review Mechanism. At the end of the workshop stakeholders will have:

Increased their understanding of the UNTOC and its Review Mechanism,
Understood how to participate constructively in the review process,
Understood entry points for collaborative contribution to support State parties in the implementation of UNTOC and combatting transnational organized crime, and
Identified possible areas for actions at the national and regional levels.

For information in Arabic, English, French, and Spanish please visit the workshop website.

For any additional information please contact us at unodc-se4u@un.org.

Constructive Dialogues

The Call for Applications for the 2024 Constructive Dialogues for the UNTOC Review Mechanism on Firearms, International Cooperation & Technical Assistance, Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants is now open.

The objective of the Constructive Dialogues is to brief participants on the development and outcomes of the review process; Collect inputs and suggestions from participants, including their contributions on ways to improve the implementation of the Convention and the Protocols thereto; and foster cooperation with non-governmental organizations to combat transnational organized crime and to promote and review the implementation of this Convention. You can find more information here.

Voluntary Pilot Initiative on UNTOC Implementation

As part of the project “Stakeholder Engagement for the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), its Review Mechanism and Related Activities”, the voluntary country-specific “Pilot initiatives” which are voluntary and country-specific are aimed at strengthening cooperation between governments and non-governmental stakeholders (Civil Society Organizations, academia and the private sector) at the national level to address transnational organized crime and contribute to the review process.

The “Constructive Dialogues” envisaged in Resolution 9/1 take place following the conclusion of the working group sessions. The Voluntary Pilot Initiatives (VPIs) are a unique opportunity to provide space for dialogue between the concerned government and relevant stakeholders in preparation for the Working Group meetings.

The aim of the pilot initiatives is:

To enable representatives of Governments, civil society, academia, and the private sector to work together on country-specific priorities to ensure a comprehensive response to transnational organized crime within the framework of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the Protocols.
To ensure that the review process of the UNTOC and its Protocols is carried out effectively through joint efforts between the Government and non-governmental stakeholders.

The VPIs enable representatives of governments, civil society, academia and the private sector to exchange views on how to work together on country-specific transnational organized crime priorities to ensure an effective implementation of the Convention and the review process.

Download the concept note for the “Voluntary Pilot initiatives” in English and Portuguese here.

For questions and more details please reach out to the CSU at unodc-se4u@un.org.

Useful Resources

United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC)

The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) Review Mechanism - Video

Engaging Non-Governmental Stakeholders in the Self-Assessment Phase of the UNTOC Review Mechanism - Video

The Additional Resources PDF document, which explains a lot about the background of Engaging Non-Governmental Stakeholders in the Self-Assessment Phase of the UNTOC Review Mechanism.

The joint UNODC GI-TOC Guide for civil society community engaging with the UNTOC Review Mechanism: Arabic, French, English, and Spanish.

For more useful resources please visit the WhatsOn Knowledge Resource Database.

Briefing Paper on Civil Society Contributions and Linkages between Corruption and Transnational Organized Crime in Southern Africa.

SAQ questions relevant for non-governmental stakeholders

Knowledge Hub - WhatsOn

The UNODC online knowledge hub WhatsOn is a platform designed to bring together relevant stakeholders in the fight against transnational organized crime as well as corruption, including non-governmental organizations, academia and the private sector. The multi-stakeholder platform allows for networking and knowledge exchange, and contains relevant resources on counter-organized crime and anti-corruption.

WhatsOn is part of the UNODC project entitled “Stakeholder Engagement for the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) – SE4U, its review mechanism and related activities,” implemented to support Resolution 9/1 of the Conference of Parties to UNTOC, adopted on 19 October 2018.

WhatsOn is a secure space for the involvement of non-governmental stakeholders, enabling networking, information sharing and interaction in order to foster partnership and amplify action of stakeholders against organised crime.

Currently more than 450 Civil Society Organizations are registered on WhatsOn. If you are an NGO, academic or private sector, register here to join the WhatsOn.

Civil Society Partners

Alliance of NGOs Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

For more information, please contact info@crimealliance.org.

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

For more information, please contact secretariat@globalinitiative.net.

PPP Compendium

UNODC Compendium on PPP to Prevent & Counter TIP

The Compendium on PPP to Prevent & Counter TIP aims to improve effective partnership between the public and private sectors with a view to better assisting member States in their implementation of the UNTOC and its Trafficking in Persons Protocol. It presents the main findings and insights from four Regional Expert Group Meetings organized by UNODC, focusing on PPPs as they relate to countering trafficking in persons from within the supply chain, financial and technology sectors.

Read more here or Download the PPP Compendium in English here and in French here.