UN Crime Congress: Technology is changing crime – and responses to it

Criminal networks now move money, goods and information across national borders at a rapid pace, exploiting everything from new technologies to global instability. But tools that help encourage illicit activity can also transform efforts to combat it.

Technology, as well as creating what Ms Juma described as “a far-reaching criminal profit-making ecosystem”, can also enable faster, smarter and more coordinated responses to threats that are increasingly affecting all corners of the globe.

These challenges – from cyber-enabled crime to human trafficking and online fraud – will be at the center of discussions in Abu Dhabi at the meeting. 15th United Nations Crime Congress; the world’s largest gathering focused on crime prevention and criminal justice.

As the newly appointed Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Ms Juma is preparing to attend the event for the first time in her current role.

We sat down with him to discuss the world-changing criminal threat and the opportunities for governments and institutions to respond more effectively.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity

UN News: The UN Crime Congress is held every five years, and provides a platform where the world comes together to ask the question: how is crime changing?

Miss Juma: The deciding factor today, of course, is technology. Five years ago, technology developed very differently. Now, this allows many crimes to occur in various sectors. What we are seeing is a convergence of crime types that is creating an ecosystem of criminal profiteering with enormous reach across the globe.

With technology, millions of people can be targeted in a matter of seconds. No need for intermediaries, or crossing national borders.

Caption: UNODC Executive Director Monica Juma during an interview with UN News and UNIS Vienna. (Credit: UNIS Vienna/Laura Skocek)

UN News: How can the Crime Congress help ensure that justice and law enforcement systems in developing countries are not left behind amid the widening global digital divide?

Miss Juma: In fact, technology leaves no one behind. Countries that are considered very advanced in terms of technology are just as vulnerable as the weakest countries. Organized criminals have no border barriers.

Traffickers no longer rely solely on people bringing people across borders by boat. They are now also using technology and disinformation to create fake jobs, and sometimes even end up in the supply chains of legitimate businesses, including banking services.

This is why the UN Crime Congress platform is so important. That is the value of the UN. We have the capacity to bring everyone to the table, and that is what we will see in Abu Dhabi. There will be representatives from all over the world.

At UNODC, we are increasingly creating platforms for interaction across borders and sectors; for example: investigators, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, judicial officers, and now even investigative journalists.

The goal is to create a convergence of competencies that can be quickly used to convey information, evidence, or suspicions to someone who can take immediate action.

We encourage countries to cooperate more, including in the areas of intelligence exchange and forensic analysis, but the ability to translate such cooperation has so far not been fully possible on the part of Member States. To do this requires appropriate policies, relationships and mechanisms.

UN News: Why is the UN Cybercrime Convention so important?

Miss Juma: The UN Convention against Cybercrime was adopted unanimously by the General Assembly in 2024, and we already have more than 80 countries signing it. The Convention provides a comprehensive toolkit that facilitates cooperation between countries and creates similar standards that enable faster and more agile responses to common threats.

We call on and encourage countries to ratify this agreement so that it can enter into force, because until that happens, the full use of this agreement will be limited.

Currently, ratification is a domestic legislative process, but many countries I have spoken to personally indicate that the process is ongoing. We hope that this regulation can be implemented soon.

UN News: Hundreds of thousands of human trafficking victims are forced to commit cybercrime in growing centers of large-scale fraud. How can the Crime Congress address their plight?

Miss Juma: First of all, this fraud is at the center of a truly global crisis. Our latest report on fraud hotspots in Southeast Asia shows that victims come from more than 80 countries around the world. This is a global situation that is growing exponentially. This hub of fraud is truly a pandemic if you think about it.

Often, this manifests as real opportunities for curious young people – who want to work and explore the world. It is vital that they are considered victims and not perpetrators, and that we identify the true perpetrators of the crime. It is the people who deceive, recruit and mislead them.

It is also important to protect the rights of victims and support them through rehabilitation and treatment. Some of them have experienced very traumatic experiences, including torture and abuse, and these experiences will stay with them for a very long time. For us, UNODC has supported increasing capacity in the criminal justice system so that it can deal effectively with victims and vulnerable groups.

UN News: What can be done to ensure that the Crime Congress provides real solutions at a time of increasing geopolitical polarization and global tensions?

Miss Juma: It is true that the world is in a very worrying situation, but it is also true that the threat of crime is something that is felt every day by people throughout the world.

It is impossible to create any level of productivity or sustainability if you experience insecurity at a personal, local or community level – caused by drugs and crime. This affects people at all levels, and that reality makes it easier for us to work together and find solutions.

So, we are facing a situation where there is convergence, both in the level of threats and the desire to find solutions. When we come to Abu Dhabi, there is no debate about whether this is important or not.

We hope that we can take the solutions presented in Kyoto (site of the 2021 UN Crime Congress) to see current threats accelerated by new intervening variables such as technology.

We see the role of technology in helping us respond in an agile and effective way, so that we can restore safer environments, secure communities, and hopefully achieve greater prosperity for the world.