UN Crime Congress examines technology's impact on crime and law enforcement

Monica Juma, the United Nations Deputy Secretary‑General, spent the morning in her Vienna office reviewing briefing papers ahead of a high‑level United Nations gathering in Abu Dhabi. The summit, convened by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, will bring together ministers, law‑enforcement leaders and civil‑society representatives to assess the rapid transformation of criminal activity and to chart a coordinated response. Juma emphasized that the pace of change in organized crime, cyber‑enabled fraud and illicit finance now outstrips the capacity of many national and international institutions that were designed for a pre‑digital era.

The Abu Dhabi meeting is expected to focus on strengthening legal frameworks, enhancing cross‑border data sharing and expanding resources for capacity‑building in vulnerable jurisdictions. Delegates will discuss proposals for a new global treaty on cybercrime, reforms to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and mechanisms to better protect victims of trafficking and illicit exploitation. Juma’s remarks underscored the urgency of modernising governance structures, noting that without swift adaptation the gap between criminal innovation and institutional response could widen, undermining global security and development goals.