Publications

Strategic Response Framework for Tackling Crimes Linked to Critical Minerals - September 2024

  As the global demand for clean energy and digital technologies increases, so does the need for critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements. These essential resources power electric vehicles, renewable energy technologies, and advanced communication systems. However, this rapid growth in demand is accompanied by significant risks, including illegal mining, organized crime infiltration, human rights violations, and environmental damage, particularly in regions with weak governance. The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals has emphasized the urgent need to secure ethical, sustainable, and transparent supply chains for these critical minerals. The panel calls for global cooperation to mitigate the escalating risks...

Good Practices in Accelerating the Capture of Illicitly-Acquired Assets - New Report in Azerbaijani - June 2024

  This report, now available in Azerbaijani, was produced within the framework of an EU-funded project. This project focuses on advancing the capabilities of Member States in combating organized crime and promoting development through effective asset recovery. This is done by presenting, through a number of case studies, the usefulness of adopting accelerated mechanisms for asset recovery. Such modalities may include, for example, civil confiscation, enhanced powers of the tax authorities or social welfare institutions, as well as plea bargaining and administrative confiscation. The report addresses the critical challenge of fighting organized crime and corruption by dismantling their financial bases. The goal is to strengthen law enforcement's ability to – through proven effect...

Generative AI: A New Threat for Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse - September 2024

  The UNICRI Centre for AI and Robotics together with the Bracket Foundation and Value for Good, produced a new study: Generative AI: A New Threat for Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. While AI provides enormous benefits to us all, including to law enforcement agencies in dealing with the online exploitation and abuse of children, the same technology - particularly generative AI - creates an unprecedented challenge in combating this horrific crime. Understanding the issue is the first step to combatting it. This study provides: ✔️ a comprehensive overview of the new challenges, ✔️ perspectives and data from law enforcement, private sector, governments, and caregivers, ✔️ potential mitigation strategies. The report was launched in New York at Concord...

Good Practices in Accelerating the Capture of Illicitly-Acquired Assets - New Report in Romanian - June 2024

  This report, now available in Romanian, was produced within the framework of an EU-funded project. This project focuses on advancing the capabilities of Member States in combating organized crime and promoting development through effective asset recovery. This is done by presenting, through a number of case studies, the usefulness of adopting accelerated mechanisms for asset recovery. Such modalities may include, for example, civil confiscation, enhanced powers of the tax authorities or social welfare institutions, as well as plea bargaining and administrative confiscation. The report addresses the critical challenge of fighting organized crime and corruption by dismantling their financial bases. The goal is to strengthen law enforcement's ability to – through proven effective...

Good Practices in Accelerating the Capture of Illicitly-Acquired Assets - June 2024

  This report, which was produced within the framework of an EU-funded project, focuses on advancing the capabilities of Member States in combating organized crime and promoting development through effective asset recovery. This is done by presenting, through a number of case studies, the usefulness of adopting accelerated mechanisms for asset recovery. Such modalities may include, for example, civil confiscation, enhanced powers of the tax authorities or social welfare institutions, as well as plea bargaining and administrative confiscation. The report addresses the critical challenge of fighting organized crime and corruption by dismantling their financial bases. The goal is to strengthen law enforcement's ability to – through proven effective and efficient modalities – trace,...

The Nexus between Transnational Organized Crime and Terrorism in Latin America - June 2024

  This report explores the intricate relationships between organized crime and terrorism across Latin America. It presents case studies to illustrate the diverse ways in which these connections manifest among various terror and criminal groups throughout the continent. The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) has conducted ongoing studies which highlight critical issues and cross-regional links, necessitating deeper analysis in other areas such as Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. The analysis focuses on two main dynamics: terrorist groups engaging in criminal activities to fund their ideological pursuits, and criminal groups employing terrorist tactics for financial gain. Primary criminal activities include drug trafficking, migrant smug...

UNSCR 1540 Compass - April 2024

"This year marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of United Nations Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) (UNSCR 1540), a key pillar of the international security landscape and non-proliferation architecture. When it was adopted in 2004, the resolution formed part of the collective, international response in the face of Abdul Qadeer Khan’s nuclear proliferation network and a growing number of terrorist attacks. It aimed to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and their means of delivery by non-State actors. Today, with rising political instability and global insecurities, the threat of violent non-State actors – especially terrorists and organized criminal syndicates –, acquiring and using nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, as well as their relat...

NEW! Digital Rehabilitation in Prisons - March 2024

This report examines the potential benefits and risks of introducing new technologies in prisons to facilitate prisoner rehabilitation. It aims to assist policymakers, practitioners, and those responsible for the design and delivery of rehabilitative programmes to understand how to leverage technologies to support prisoner rehabilitation effectively and ethically."Around the world, criminal justice systems are facing the challenge of rehabilitating prisoners effectively to reduce reoffending rates and create safer societies. Innovative digital technologies show promise in providing access to rehabilitation programmes and flexible, effective prison based interventions. However, the integration of technology requires a balance between digital and in-person modalities and a commitment to huma...

Second issue of 1540 Compass

    The second issue of the 1540 Compass explores the critical components of United Nations Security Council resolution 1540 (2004), with a focus on border and export control systems crucial for its full and effective implementation. This edition particularly underscores the significance of clauses in operative paragraph 3, highlighting the global commitment to securing a world where proliferation risks are minimized through robust domestic controls. This issue offers a comprehensive look at the implementation, especially across Africa, examining the varied approaches to managing exports of biological weapons-related materials. It presents a range of contributions and in-depth interviews that delve into national efforts to develop voluntary action plans and regional coll...