Organized crime thrives worldwide, affecting governance and political processes, and weakening the advancement of the rule of law and human rights.Meaningful consideration of a human rights perspective is an inherent aspect of all PCBT activities.The effects of organized crime are felt all around the globe, eroding governance, infiltrating political processes, fuelling corruption and violence, exploiting vulnerable persons, undermining legitimate markets and posing a growing environmental threat UNODC supports Member States in the accession to and implementation of the United Nations Convention against Transnational
Organized Crime and the Protocols thereto as well as follow up on the observations of the Mechanism for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention.In terms of programmatic work, under its Global Programme on Criminal Disruption (GPCD), UNODC supports Member States in combatting the trafficking of illicit commodities by reinforcing capacity to investigate and prosecute transnational organised crime, and promote international cooperation to disrupt criminal networks in source, transit and destination countries.Furthermore, UNODC's Passenger Cargo Border Team (PCBT) through the Control Container Control Programme (CCP) and the Airport Communication Project (AIRCOP) strives to enhance the capacity of national governments to combat crime, illicit drugs and terrorism in order to safeguard human rights and uphold the rule of law.UNODC offer States parties to the Convention and all relevant stakeholders tools that may help in developing and improving laws, strategies and other policies aimed at strengthening the implementation of the Convention in full compliance with international human rights law, through issue papers and the future Toolkit on Mainstreaming Gender and Human Rights Dimensions in the Implementation of the Organized Crime Convention.Such training is routinely carried out under the CCP and is specifically tailored to address situations and human rights aspects which may be encountered by border control, customs and other relevant personnel Similarly, AIRCOP aims to maximize the positive impact of human rights on its work, by mainstreaming human rights in the formulation, development, and implementation of all its initiatives.Indeed, the identification and interception of high-risk passengers (including through AIRCOP support to the UNOCT-led Countering Terrorist Travel Programme) is done through the collection and analyses of passenger data (including API and PNR), which raises human rights concerns that relate to the right to privacy, data protection and retentionOrganized criminal groups and their modi operandi evolve rapidly as a result of structural changes at the national and international levels, having, most recently, exploited opportunities created by the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.This includes support to policymakers, legislative drafters and practitioners in the mainstreaming of human rights into national and regional legislative frameworks and strategies and other policies to prevent and combat organized crime.UNODC provides technical assistance to Member States to adopt effective legislation as well as policies, strategies and plans to address transnational organized crime.Organized crime groups often misuse political instability and spaces left void of governmental control for illicit business purposes.Law enforcement activities such as the interception of high-rick passengers at airports, must be conducted with the utmost attention to the respect and upholding of human rights standards.