EU-UNODC Senior Officials Meeting in Brussels, 28 May 2026

In a world where criminal networks and transnational crimes are developing faster than ever, working in cooperation and through multilateralism is the only option for a sustainable solution.

The EU and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime held the 19th Senior Officials Meeting in Brussels this week. At a time of intensifying global instability, our longstanding EU-UNODC partnership is not only relevant - it is indispensable in addressing the world's drug problems, transnational organised crime, trafficking in human beings, migrant smuggling, corruption, online scam centres, and related security challenges.

Our discussions reaffirmed that these challenges cannot be tackled by countries acting alone. Participants stressed the importance of effective multilateral cooperation, grounded in the rule of law and focused on delivering concrete results on the ground, which remains essential in delivering tangible results on the ground.

We covered a broad range of priorities, including migrant smuggling, trafficking in human beings, online scam centres and related crimes, drug policy, the recruitment of children and youth by organised crime groups, anti-corruption efforts, and protecting supply chains and trade flows from criminal infiltration, including in the areas of natural resources and waste trafficking.

As criminal networks continue to adapt and expand across borders, so too must our cooperation. The EU remains committed to working closely with UNODC to turn shared priorities into concrete action.