According to the organization's information, violence is directed not only at the government or rival groups, but also at journalists, human rights defenders, and entrepreneurs. In 2020–2022, 200 journalists were killed, and one-fifth of them were targeted for exposing crime.
As emphasized in the report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), organized crime has now become one of the most dangerous and rapidly growing threats. Due to globalization, digital technologies, and geopolitical instability, controlling the activities of such networks is becoming increasingly difficult.
According to UNODC estimates, from 2000 to 2023, organized crime claimed an average of 95,000 lives annually. The highest number of homicides occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean — in this region, there were 19.7 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.
The organization emphasized that the activities of criminal groups harm the economy, undermine the investment climate, and violate human rights. Cases of human trafficking and violence often reduce trust in state institutions.
