UNODC, run from Vienna, is the only UN office dedicated to drugs and crime and is the guardian of the international crime and corruption conventions

Background

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) describes itself as the only UN office dedicated to preventing and addressing drugs and crime. Its mission is to tackle the world drug problem, fight organized crime, prevent and counter terrorism, prevent and counter corruption, money laundering and economic crime, and promote fair and effective criminal justice systems. Started in 1997, UNODC has its headquarters in Vienna, Austria, and runs a network of field offices covering some 150 countries. It is the guardian of international crime and corruption conventions, among them the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the UN Convention against Corruption, and it serves as the secretariat of the global UN policy bodies on drugs, crime and corruption. Those bodies include the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. Its support to governments, criminal justice institutions and law enforcement is focused on three areas: policy, data and research, and training and support. UNODC relies on voluntary contributions, mainly from governments.