UNODC Warns of Rising Organized Crime Risks in Afghanistan

DID Press: UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has warned that weakened rule of law and judicial institutions in Afghanistan since the political changes of 2021 have increased the country’s vulnerability to organized crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking and money laundering. UNODC’s Afghanistan roadmap also identifies illicit financial flows, trafficking and organized criminal networks as continuing concerns requiring regional cooperation.

Representatives from dozens of countries are attending the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi from September 26 to October 1, where participants are discussing justice, crime prevention and efforts to combat transnational criminal networks.

UNODC has emphasized that the links between crime, security, human rights and justice have become increasingly evident and that addressing emerging criminal threats requires stronger international cooperation. The agency says increasingly complex and transnational threats require coordinated action at regional and global levels.

Afghanistan has been cited in UN discussions as a case in which weakened rule-of-law and criminal-justice structures can contribute to insecurity and illicit activity. UNODC has specifically identified drug and precursor trafficking, trafficking in persons and migrants, illicit financial flows and weapons trafficking among the issues requiring continued attention in and around Afghanistan.

The situation of Afghan women and girls is also part of the broader justice and human-rights concerns. UNODC has noted that restrictions on women’s participation in work can increase their vulnerability and push some toward illicit economies, while UN discussions have linked the protection of vulnerable groups and equal access to justice with effective crime prevention.

UNODC has called for stronger accountability mechanisms, protection of human rights and greater capacity within justice and law-enforcement institutions, alongside increased international cooperation to counter organized and transnational crime.