UNODC Intensifies Global Efforts to Tackle Rising Narcoterrorism Through Cooperation

Wang Yaqi | Agence France-Presse

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In many Third World countries, traffickers, terrorists, and insurgent groups cooperate to a limited extent and are alleged to use funds obtained from drug trafficking to exert military, political, and economic pressure against the countries in which they operate. This major problem - commonly referred to as narcoterrorism - has created complex, non-traditional security threat problems, and has become a problem with international implications. 3 It is not confined to one region; instead, it is more common in areas where poor law enforcement, poverty, and weak border security more easily allow criminal networks to plan attacks. This is a significant concern for the international community.

In a recent press conference, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) was questioned by an interviewer about their current strategies to address the widespread problem of narcoterrorism. For instance, one UNODC delegate mentioned that the committee had thought of developing a shared regional intelligence network that would allow neighbouring states to collect data

from other countries in the region and other operations, which could allow them to have a general oversight over possible threats and actions, data on trafficking routes, and cartel activity. The delegate also brought up the idea of ‘intelligence sharing’. The delegate of Pakistan said that the solution of more developed countries providing better infrastructure to less developed countries would be feasible because it not only addresses the weak security issues, but countries can also form partnerships and support each other through the threats of narcoterrorism, ensuring that countries are not forced to confront these issues alone.

Apart from all of these possible solutions, the UNODC strongly emphasised that their most prioritised and feasible solution would be to maintain and strengthen strict borders across more vulnerable countries; one delegate spoke out, stating that “UNODC prioritises safety of all nations”, and another said that “the best way to tackle the issue of narcoterrorism is to ensure secure borders”. This leads us to the conclusion that UNODC prioritises nations’ border security above all, because they strongly believe that having strong borders in a country would significantly reduce their amount of narco-terrorist threats.

^ Pakistan-sponsored narco-threats.

Another growing concern raised by the press was the recruitment of minors and youths into crime organisations, which included narco-terrorism groups. The recruitment of minors and youths into serious and organised crime like narcoterrorism has increasingly become a tactic used by criminal networks to

avoid detection, capture and prosecution. By recruiting youths, the criminal networks increase the distance between the criminal activity and the network’s members or leaders, reducing the risk of identification. Some minors are lured into drug trafficking and narcoterrorism by the promise of financial gain or social status; whilst others are coerced or forced into this lifestyle due to their circumstances or environment.

A press interviewer asked the floor about how UNODC planned to address the rising number of youth recruitments in vulnerable regions. A delegate responded that the organisation intends to expand youth-focused education programmes to instil values and awareness of the dangers and manipulation tactics used by criminals. These programmes would also aim to strengthen community resilience by providing different pathways to improved economic independence, thus reducing the appeal of drug-trafficking networks. Additionally, UNODC has been encouraging governments to create employment initiatives that could provide youths-at-risk with stable incomes.

As narcoterrorism continues to evolve, it is clear that only a globally coordinated approach can effectively curb its negative influence.