UN and Organized Crime Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

On 29 July 2024, the reconvened session of the Ad Hoc Committee (AHC) to conclude negotiations on a new UN convention on cybercrime began. The AHC is mandated to submit a draft convention to the UN General Assembly by 9 August. Since the AHC began its negotiations in 2022, competing visions for this convention have not been reconciled. Some countries have pushed for a treaty with a narrow scope and clear rights protections and safeguards. Others, who have pushed for an expanded instrument with intrusive and far-reaching powers. This special episode discusses the role of safeguards in promoting cooperation. Leading experts in international cooperation explain the need for safeguards and how the convention can help develop a common understanding of minimum guarantees to build trust between states and enable cooperation.

Presenter: Ana Paula Oliveira, Senior Analyst, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

Speakers:

Michael Daniel, President & CEO of the Cyber Threat Alliance.

Marika McAdam, an independent international law and policy advisor

This second podcast episode on cybercrime and critical technologies in South East Asia starts to explore what the possible regional and indeed global responses might be to tackling these entrenched and growing threats.  With the support of the Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and our partner, Lydekker, the GI-TOC has been exploring the specific vulnerabilities and challenges of these trends in South East Asia and exploring, with an expert multistakeholder group what best practises might exist in order to combat them. 

Louise talks to Helena Huang and Horest Au-Yeung, two regional experts, to hear their perspectives on the responses that their respective organisations are seeing, supporting and delivering.   

Presenter: Louise Taylor, Asia-Pacific Representative, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Guests:

Helena Huang Yixin, Associate Research Fellow, S.Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS)

Horest Au-Yeung, Coordinator of Asia & South Pacific Desk, Cybercrime, INTERPOL

Additional Reading

A dream deferred or a near miss? UN committee postpones decision on cybercrime convention

Cyber Convention Check-in

In this episode, Ian sits down with Dr Jarrett Blaustein, the author of a new book 'Unraveling the Crime-Development Nexus' .

Together, Ian and Jarrett discuss the evolution and history of the UN's response to organized crime and its governance structures, in the context of the upcoming Conference of Parties to the UNTOC. They consider the link between crime and sustainable development, and why more integrated and strategic approaches are needed from the multilateral system.

Looking ahead to the 17-21 October UNTOC Conference of Parties, they explore how to enhance the role of civil society and network building, to bolster our chances in the future of the fight against transnational organized crime.

Presenter(s):

Ian Tennant, Head of Vienna Multilateral Representation, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Guest(s)

Dr Jarrett Blaustein, Associate Professor and Senior Fellow at the School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) at the Australian National University - Twitter

Additional Links:

Book Offer: 'Unraveling the Crime-Development Nexus' by Jarrett Blaustein is available online and UN & Organized Crime Podcast listeners can get a discount on the eBook by using the promo code: RLFANDF30

In this episode, we discuss the ongoing UN negotiations to create a global instrument to address cybercrime, or what it is called formally: countering the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) for criminal purposes.

In May and June the second meeting of the UN Ad Hoc Committee (AHC) took place in Vienna. It was the first meeting that dealt with the potential substance of a treaty. Delegates addressed three main topics: general provisions, such as overall purpose; provisions on criminalization, and provisions on procedural measures and law enforcement.

Presenter(s):

Ian Tennant, Head of Vienna Multilateral Representation & Resilience Fund, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Summer Walker, Head of Multilateral Affairs, NY, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Guests:

Neno Malisevic, Director of Digital Diplomacy at Microsoft

Rahman Jeet Singh Cheema, Asia Policy Director and Senior International Counsel at Access Now

From 30 May to 10 June, the second cybercrime UN 'AHC' negotiation meeting took place in Vienna. As delegations started exploring the issues in more detail, governments differed widely on what crimes to cover under the convention and how to define them, but they were generally eager to include measures to address a wide array of crimes committed using computer systems under provisions covering procedural measures and law enforcement. In this episode, Summer Walker and Ian Tennant discuss what was discussed at that meeting, and what's coming up at the next session which starts in New York at the end of August.

Presenter(s):

Ian Tennant, Head of Vienna Multilateral Representation & Resilience Fund, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Summer Walker, Head of Multilateral Affairs, NY, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Additional Links:

https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/un-cybercrime-convention/

https://globalinitiative.net/initiatives/un-cyberwatch/

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/cybercrime/ad_hoc_committee/ahc-second-session.html

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/cybercrime/ad_hoc_committee/ahc_third_session/main.html

On 28 February, UN Member States began the official negotiation process of a new UN legal instrument on cybercrime.

In this episode we delve into the substantive issues at play in the first negotiation session and in subsequent written submissions by UN Member States, ahead of the next session which starts on 30 May in Vienna. There are major gaps between different camps, and geopolitical pressures and fractures to navigate. We discuss what to expect for the upcoming session and beyond as Member States attempt to find consensus.

Presenter: Ian Tennant, Head of Vienna Multilateral Representation & Resilience Fund, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Guest: Summer Walker, Head of Multilateral Affairs, NY, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Additional Reading

(GITOC) UN Cybercrime negotiations: Industry roundtable, 29 March 2022

(GITOC) Guidance note on a draft convention on cybercrime

(GITOC) GI-TOC Director's statement to the first session of the UN Ad Hoc Committee on cybercrime

(GITOC) Control, alt, or delete? The UN cybercrime debate enters a new phase

(GITOC) Cyber, fire and fury: Diplomats take first steps towards a cybercrime treaty amid widespread condemnation and isolation of Russia.

(United Nations) Ad Hoc Committee to Elaborate a Comprehensive International Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes

(Council of Europe) The Budapest Convention and its Protocols

On 28 February, UN Member States began the official negotiation process of a new UN legal instrument on cybercrime. 

In this episode we look back at the first negotiation session with a representative of the UK's delegation. We consider the major issues in the negotiations, how different positions are emerging on issues like defining cybercrimes, what activities should be criminalized, and how human rights and sovereignty play into discussions. We also discuss how widely adopted existing instruments like the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, or the Council of Europe Cybercrime Convention are shaping the discussions.

Presenter: Ian Tennant, Head of Vienna Multilateral Representation & Resilience Fund, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Guest: Matthew Osborne, Official at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO): Cyber Policy Department - he was part of the UK delegation for the first ad hoc committee meeting in New York earlier this year.

Additional Reading

(GITOC) UN Cybercrime negotiations: Industry roundtable, 29 March 2022

(GITOC) Guidance note on a draft convention on cybercrime

(GITOC) GI-TOC Director's statement to the first session of the UN Ad Hoc Committee on cybercrime

(GITOC) Control, alt, or delete? The UN cybercrime debate enters a new phase

(GITOC) Cyber, fire and fury: Diplomats take first steps towards a cybercrime treaty amid widespread condemnation and isolation of Russia.

(United Nations) Ad Hoc Committee to Elaborate a Comprehensive International Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes

(Council of Europe) The Budapest Convention and its Protocols

In the final episode of the Road to Kyoto podcast series, Ian Tennant speaks to civil society participants at the 14th Crime Congress to reflect on what happened at the Congress, and what it means for the future of multistakeholder responses to transnational organized crime.

Presenter: Ian Tennant, Fund Manager, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Guests:

Siria Gastelum Felix, Resilience Director, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Jean-Paul Laborde, Ambassador, Parliamentary Assembly of Mediterranean; Professor, French Military Academy and member of the GI Network of Experts.

Gerson Nozea, Haiti Country Director, Rapha International.

GI-TOC’s review of the Congress is here.

The Kyoto Declaration.

We have arrived in Kyoto, at least virtually. In this episode of the Road to Kyoto podcast, Ian Tennant reflects on how the Congress has functioned so far, and what that means for civil society's ability to engage and influence this multi-stakeholder meeting. Information on GI-TOC's range of events at the Congress can be found here.

Presenter: Ian Tennant, Fund Manager, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

In this episode Ian is joined by a selection of distinguished guests and members of the GI Network of experts. They will discuss the current global state of organized crime, in the context of the quinquennial Congress, and the more recent developments as a result of COVID-19. 

The podcast will also analyse the current framework of international responses to issues of concern to the Experts, and make suggestions on what should be the key issues and recommendations discussed by governments and civil society at the Congress. The recording is scheduled to last one hour.

Presenter: Ian Tennant, Fund Manager, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Guests:

Marika McAdam, International Legal and Policy Advisor.

John Githongo, CEO of Inuka Kenya Ni Sisi.

Lucia Dammert, Professor of International Relations at Universidad de Santiago de Chile.

Jay Albanese, Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and Co-Founder of Criminologists without Borders.

Useful Links

UNTOC Watch

UN Crime Congress

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime