UN invites NGOs to observe 13th Conference against Transnational Organized Crime
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has invited non-governmental organisations that do not hold Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) consultative status to participate as observers in the thirteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC).
The session will take place from 19 to 23 October 2026 at the Vienna International Centre in Vienna, Austria, and will be held exclusively in person.
According to the official invitation dated 10 August 2026, the Conference is expected to focus on the implementation of the Convention and its 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, Air and Sea; and the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition. Discussions will also cover the review of implementation, other serious crimes, international cooperation and technical assistance.
In line with Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality, organisations are encouraged to include female experts in their delegations.
Registration for the session will open on 24 August 2026 through the United Nations Indico platform. An official letter of nomination from each organisation, together with the full details of its delegates, must be uploaded by Friday, 9 October 2026. Registration requests will only be approved after verification against the uploaded nomination letter.
Documentation for the session, including the annotated provisional agenda, will be made available in the six official languages of the United Nations on the Official Document System and on the UNODC website.
The invitation was issued by Ilias Chatzis, Secretary of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.
