UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC)

• Context (BS I ANI): The UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC, also called the Palermo Convention) is a UN-sponsored multilateral treaty against transnational crime.
• The UN General Assembly adopted the convention in 2000 and entered into force in 2003.
• It has 147 signatories and 191 parties to the convention.

• The seven UN member states that are not party to the convention are (* indicates that the state has signed but not ratified the convention): Republic of the Congo*, Iran*, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan and Tuvalu.

UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) Supplementary Protocols

• The Convention is supplemented by three Protocols, which target specific areas of organised crime:
  1. Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.
  2. Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air.
  3. Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunition.

Commitments by states under UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC)

• Creation of domestic criminal offences (participation in an organised criminal group, money laundering, corruption and obstruction of justice).
• Adoption of new frameworks for extradition, mutual legal assistance and law enforcement.
• Promotion of training and technical assistance for upgrading the necessary capacity.