Technical guide to the United Nations Convention against corruption

The unprecedented speed of digital transformation is reshaping not only the way societies communicate, work, and access information, but also the way crime evolves, operates, and impacts individuals, institutions, and States. In a global context marked by growing geopolitical tensions, social fragmentation, and accelerating technological change, the opportunities created by innovation increasingly coexist with new vulnerabilities that are often difficult to identify, govern, and contain. As highlighted in the opening editorial by UNICRI Acting Director Leif Villadsen, the challenge of our time

How can governments respond effectively to minerals crime when criminal networks operate across borders, supply chains, and financial systems?As global demand for gold and critical minerals continues to grow, illegal extraction and trafficking are increasingly linked to organized crime, illicit financial flows, corruption, environmental harm, and broader governance vulnerabilities. These dynamics are becoming particularly significant in the Andean–Amazon region, where mineral supply chains intersect with fragile ecosystems, transnational trade routes, and complex governance challenges. UN

Across several regions of Africa, the relationship between terrorism and illicit economies interacts with broader patterns of insecurity. In environments marked by fragile institutions, porous borders and expansive informal markets, violent extremist groups and criminal actors operate within overlapping spaces where the boundaries between legality and illegality are often blurred. These conditions create environments in which illicit economic systems can be exploited by violent extremist groups.Dangerous Liaisons: Assessing the nexus between terrorism and criminal activities in Africa exa