News and Events

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2023 Informal Expert Group Meeting on International Cooperation in Criminal Matters

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) organizes, from 23 to 25 October 2023, with the financial support of the Government of the People’s Republic of China, an Informal Expert Group Meeting on International Cooperation in Criminal Matters. This meeting aims at enabling the exchange of experience and views among experts and facilitating dialogue on practical aspects of international cooperation in criminal matters, capacity-building and technical assistance priorities. The meeting agenda will revolve around the following thematic areas: a) The use of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) as a legal basis for international cooperation in criminal matters – challenges and potential use: an update; b) Development of a matrix identifying legal and practical issues that could arise in the implementation of article 19 of the UNTOC on joint investigations; c) The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the field of international cooperation in criminal matters: the practitioners’ perspective – New challenges and opportunities; d) Updating of the UNODC Manual on Mutual Legal Assistance and Extradition(2012); and e) An update on UNODC tools to promote international cooperation in criminal matters.

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Informal Expert Group Meetings to Update the UNODC Model Law on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters

In response to paragraph 15(d) of Resolution 10/4 of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, UNODC has organized two Informal Expert Group Meetings (IEGM) to Update the UNODC Model Law on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters (2007).

The first IEGM was held virtually, from 17 to 18 March 2021 (See Agenda). The second IEGM will take place in Vienna, from 11 to 12 November 2021.

These IEGMs are due to the generous financial support of the Governments of Japan and the United Kingdom.

Online Expert Group Meeting on Updating the Practical Guide for Requesting Electronic Evidence Across Borders

On 28 and 29 October 2020, the updated Practical Guide will be presented before more than 45 Member States, international and regional organizations and service providers during an online expert group meeting (EGM). The event will count on the presence of UNODC experts, representatives from the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and Europol officials, who will highlight the Guide’s new features — including an expanded service provider mapping feature and updated ‘Model Forms’ that can be used when requesting electronic evidence or initiating international cooperation efforts.
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Further information:
Agenda and Poster

		2019 Informal Expert Group Meeting on International Cooperation in Criminal Matters The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with the financial support of the Government of the People's Republic of China, organized, from 9 to 11 April 2019, in Vienna, an informal expert group meeting on international cooperation in criminal matters. The meeting brought together 36 experts and practitioners from 19 countries, representing both civil and common law legal systems, coming from institutions and agencies directly dealing with practical problems and challenges encountered in the field of international cooperation in criminal matters, and with exceptional gender balance in their attendance. The participants discussed, among others, the use of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) as a legal basis for international cooperation in criminal matters; advantages, current challenges, lessons learnt and possible responses to international cooperation through mutual legal assistance; international cooperation for confiscation and disposal of confiscated proceeds of crime or property; practical aspects, challenges encountered and good practices in the field of extradition; and UNODC tools on international cooperation in criminal matters and regional networks. Further information : Agenda - List of Participants - Summary of the Chair - Presentations

		Terrorist plots foiled in Middle East and North Africa with help from UNODC supported programme 17 January 2019 - The Multi-Agency Task Force (MATF), set up by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to strengthen cooperation on terrorist cases among countries in the Middle East and North Africa, confirmed this point by helping foil a terrorist plot in late 2018. Information shared through the Task Force by national authorities led to arrests and the seizure of precursor chemicals for an improvised explosive device (IED) which was destined for use in a terrorist attack. [Read More]

		Expert group meeting on international legal cooperation in trafficking in persons cases - Vienna, 22-24 November 2017 - UNODC convened an expert group meeting on the issue of international legal cooperation in trafficking in persons cases. The meeting, the second in a series of two, will gather around 20 criminal justice and other relevant practitioners from various regions of the world with the aim of developing a global handbook on the issue. The handbook will be based on and broaden the scope of the ASEAN Handbook on International Legal Cooperation in Trafficking in Persons Cases.

		Sixth Session of the Open-ended intergovernmental expert meeting on international cooperation under the UN Convention against Corruption - Vienna, 6-7 November 2017 - The functions of the meeting is to assist the Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption in developing cumulative knowledge in the area of international cooperation and encourage such cooperation, facilitate the exchange of experiences among States parties and assist the Conference in identifying the capacity-building needs of States. [Read More]

		Working Group on International Cooperation under the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime - Vienna, 9-13 October 2017 - The Working Group is a constant element of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and meets on an annual basis. [Read More]