Organized crime has developed from being a localized threat into a problem of a transnational nature. As the 2025 Global Organized Crime Index shows, the greatest threat originates from within, in the form of state-embedded actors.

State structures are being captured and exploited by corrupt officials involved in illicit economies, creating a permissive environment in which foreign actors and criminal groups can prosper.

These patterns destabilize the global order by fuelling conflict, triggering migration flows, establishing safe havens for criminals and operations involving fraud and money laundering, and flooding the world with illegal goods. At the same time, authoritarian regimes have learned to instrumentalize organized crime as a geopolitical tool and as a means of hybrid warfare. Western countries are facing considerable challenges from the trend of geocriminality, which blurs the lines between peace and war and defence and domestic security. The global rules-based order is under threat.

Side event: Gangster’s paradise: illicit economies and the new world disorder (14 February 2026 | 20.00–21.30 CET)

This roundtable discussion will explore ways to address this serious threat at regional and global levels, as well as within multilateral frameworks. The event will feature high-level speakers from the UNODC, INTERPOL, the GI-TOC, and various governments.

This page will be regularly updated with content related to our participation in #MSC2026. For more information on the event, please visit the official website.