UAE steps up fight against organised crime at COP13 in Vienna

The UAE, represented by the Ministry of Interior, participated in the 13th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC COP13) in Vienna, joining discussions on combating fraud, environmental crime, child exploitation and violence against women, as well as the use of artificial intelligence in security operations.

The Ministry hosted an event titled “From Cooperation to Action: How Law Enforcement Agencies, International Organisations, and Private Sector Partners Can Contribute to Combating Organised Fraud”, focusing on strengthening security partnerships, accelerating information sharing and improving coordination in cross-border investigations.

UAE representatives also joined an Australian-led session titled “Adaptation and Expansion: The Evolving Organised Crime Ecosystem for Human Trafficking for Fraudulent Purposes,” which examined how criminals exploit people to operate large-scale cyber fraud schemes.

On environmental crime, the Ministry worked with Azerbaijan to organise “Dubai-Baku-Abu Dhabi-Vienna Route: From Global Commitment to Action Against Environmental Crimes”, highlighting the work of the International Law Enforcement Initiative for Climate (I2LEC).

UAE officials also contributed to sessions led by Brazil, “Strengthening Global Action Against Environmental Crimes”; Peru, “Illegal Mining, Deforestation, and Transnational Organised Crime: Enhancing International Law Enforcement Cooperation”; and Germany, “Environmental Crimes as a Security Challenge.” All emphasised the need for closer international cooperation and joint operations to protect natural resources.

On child protection, the Ministry took part in a Vietnamese event on “Online Exploitation and Sexual Abuse of Children and AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material,” where it presented the “AI for Safer Children” initiative.

The Ministry also co-chaired the High-Level Group on Digital Threats, Organised Crime, and Violence Against Women and Girls alongside Chile, the Netherlands and Nigeria. Discussions focused on strengthening responses to cyber extortion and technology-enabled human trafficking, improving victim support and advancing the UAE's contribution to the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

On the sidelines of the conference, Ministry officials held bilateral talks with counterparts from Colombia, Sweden, Albania, Australia, Ireland, Indonesia, Serbia, Malaysia, Germany, and several other countries. The talks focused on strengthening information sharing, joint investigations, operational cooperation and training programmes to combat transnational organised crime.

WAM