Combatting serious and organised crime objectives 2017 to 2018
Published 16 February 2018
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1. Overview
The UK’s objective, as set out in the UK’s National Strategy on Serious and Organised Crime, is focused on reducing the level of serious and organised crime globally, including that which affects the UK and its international interests. In cooperation with our allies and partners, workstreams under this strategy will help safeguard international security, develop capacity, and build economic opportunities to disrupt and combat the threats from serious and organised crime. This helps us to protect our people through reducing security threats, as well as support the UK’s objectives under its National Security Strategy and the UK Aid Strategy.
2. FCO objectives on serious and organised crime
As stated in the Serious and Organised Crime strategy, organised crime groups exploit areas of global instability and conflict. Organised crime undermines fragile states, societies, and governments. It recognises neither national borders nor national interests.
Organised crime is a threat to our national security. It costs the United Kingdom at least £32 billion each year, leads to loss of life and can deprive people of their security and prosperity. The FCO aims to:
- develop intelligence gathering and law enforcement capabilities to disrupt crime threats to the UK and our interests overseas
- build capability and political will to address identified gaps in wider governance and rule of law capacity with a view to building long-term and sustainable capability
- work in partnership with third parties and other donors to ensure adequate international funding is provided
3. Official Development Assistance and organised crime
Serious and organised crime includes drug trafficking, human trafficking, and organised illegal immigration, high value fraud and other financial crimes. About half of all organised criminals are involved in the illegal drugs trade. Others are involved in crimes ranging from human trafficking, cyber-crime, fraud and money laundering, to child exploitation, the illegal wildlife trade and corruption.
Organised crime undermines good governance and the stability of countries. It affects global prosperity and security. Organised criminal groups exploit areas of global instability and conflict that can further undermine conflict-affected states.
4. Combatting serious and organised crime project
To help address the challenges raised above, workstreams under this programme work across the serious organised crime areas of good governance, criminal justice and law enforcement, in particular, to:
- strengthen key governmental institutions to disrupt and reduce incidents of serious and organised crime and to prevent exploitation overseas through advice, technical assistance and capacity building
- improve national and international legal frameworks, and their implementation, to increase the number of successful prosecutions of those involved in serious and organised crime
- improve cooperation across national, regional and international bodies to more effectively disrupt global organised crime
- support countries to implement their national and international commitments, including capacity to tackle specific forms of organised crime such as human and wildlife trafficking