Q. Consider the following statements:

  1. The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) has a ‘Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea, and Air’.
  2. The UNCAC is the ever-first legally binding global anti-corruption instrument.
  3. A highlight of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) is the inclusion of a specific chapter aimed at returning assets to their rightful owners from whom they had been taken illicitly.
  4. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is mandated by its member States to assist in the implementation of both UNCAC and UNTOC.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

  • 1 and 3 only
  • 2, 3 and 4 only
  • 2 and 4 only
  • 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: (c) 2 and 4 only

Notes:
  • The protocol against the smuggling of Migrants by land, sea and air comes under the the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and not UNCAC.
  • The United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) is the only legally binding universal anti-corruption instrument.
  • The Convention covers many different forms of corruption, such as bribery, trading in influence, abuse of functions, and various acts of corruption in the private sector.
  • United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) includes “Returning Assets to their rightful owners from whom they they have been taken illicitly”.
  • The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is mandated by its Member States to assist in the implementation of both Conventions,such as UNCAC and UNTOC, along with the UN Drug Conventions of 1961, 1971 and 1988 underpin all the operational work of UNODC.
United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC):
  • UNTOC is a multinational treaty against transnational organized crime that was established by the United Nations in 2000. 
  • It is often known as the Palermo Convention.
  • The UNTOC has a total of 147 signatories and 190 parties to the convention. 
  • The Convention is further supplemented by three Protocols
    • The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children;
    • The Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air; and
    • The Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunition. 
  • The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is the custodian of the UNTOC.
  • India signed the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and its three Protocols on December 12, 2002.
    • India ratified the UNTOC in 2011 becoming the fourth South Asian country to do so.
  • The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the nodal agency for all dealings with UNTOC.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC):
  • UNODC is a global leader in the fight against illicit drugs and international crime, in addition to being responsible for implementing the United Nations lead programme on terrorism.
  • It was established in 1997 through a merger between the United Nations Drug Control Programme and the Centre for International Crime Prevention.
  • Headquarters: Vienna, Austria 
  • Functions:
    • UNODC works to educate people throughout the world about the dangers of drug abuse.
    • Strengthen international action against illicit drug production and trafficking and drug-related crime. 
    • It also works to improve crime prevention and assist with criminal justice reform in order to strengthen the rule of law, promote stable and viable criminal justice systems and combat the growing threats of transnational organized crime and corruption. 
    • In 2002, the UN General Assembly approved an expanded programme of activities for the Terrorism Prevention Branch of UNODC. The activities focus on providing assistance to States, on request, in ratifying and implementing the eighteen universal legal instruments against terrorism.
  • Working:
    • UNODC has 20 field offices covering over 150 countries.
    • By working directly with Governments and non-governmental organizations, UNODC field staff develop and implement drug control and crime prevention programmes tailored to countries’ particular needs.
  • Funding: UNODC relies on voluntary contributions, mainly from governments, to carry out the majority of our work.