A high-level United Nations event on 11 November 2025 at 11:30 CET will mark the second International Day for the Prevention of and Fight against All Forms of Transnational Organized Crime, bringing global leaders and experts together to address a growing threat.
The event adopts the theme Follow the money. Stop organized crime. Transnational organized crime undermines communities, economies and the environment. Crimes such as the illicit drug trade, narco-deforestation, cybercrime, human trafficking and trafficking in firearms and critical minerals generate billions of dollars in illicit proceeds and stretch their harmful impacts into Pakistan and the region.
The human cost is stark. The UNODC 2023 Global Study on Homicide found that between 2015 and 2021 an estimated 22 percent of global intentional homicides — about 100,000 deaths each year — were linked to organized crime. Beyond lives lost, organized crime fuels conflict, weakens the rule of law and compromises public health when falsified medicines enter the market. Illegal logging and mining erode natural resources while illicit waste dumping and scams inflict further harm on ordinary citizens.
Criminal networks are driven by profit and have become ever more sophisticated. Many groups now use advanced cyber skills, emerging technologies, cryptocurrencies and shell companies to hide the origins and destinations of illicit funds. These tactics allow illicit funds to move faster and more discreetly across borders, often beyond the reach of traditional enforcement tools.
To meet this challenge, the event focuses on targeting the financial systems that sustain criminal networks. Tracing illicit financial flows connected to organized crime can expose networks, enable prosecutions, disrupt operations and support asset recovery. Effective action requires cooperation across sectors and borders, including collaboration among Pakistani law enforcement, financial institutions and regional partners to close the channels that feed criminal enterprises.
Following the money is not solely about law enforcement; it is also a route to restoring justice and securing long-term sustainable development. Agenda materials and an event flyer will be made available ahead of the session, and the proceedings will be accessible via UN WebTV for those who wish to watch the discussion and recommendations unfold.
