United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

The United Nations, a universal international organization, plays the special role in globalization of the international efforts in the sphere of counteraction to money-laundering and terrorism financing. it unites 192 countries of the world. The United Nations Charter was signed on June 26th, 1945 at the conference in San Francisco (USA) and came into force in October 24th, 1945.

According to item 1 of the UN Charter its main objective is maintenance of international peace and safety and acceptance of effective collective measures for prevention and elimination of threat to peace, suppression of aggression or other infringements of the peace.

The international programs in the sphere of counteraction to money-laundering have initially been closely connected with efforts of the United Nations on struggle against illegal drug trafficking.

For the first time the content of definition of crime of money-laundering was legally fixed in the UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, accepted in 1988 in Vienna.

In 1991 there was created UN Drug Control Program (UNDCP), directed at the struggle against illegal manufacture and drug trafficking, and also crimes connected with them. In 1997 on the basis of the specified Program there was created Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (UNODCCP) renamed in October, 2002 in Office for Drugs and Crimes (UNODC). UNODC’s headquarters is in Vienna. It also has 21 branches worldwide.

Since 1997 UNODC realizes Global Program on Money-Laundering accepted by the United Nations (GPML), its basic aim is development of the international cooperation in the sphere of counteraction to money-laundering and rendering of technical assistance to the states in working out and introduction of corresponding legal mechanisms, including the consulting help in creation of FIU. The program provides also monitoring and analysis of problems available in the countries of this area.

The basic tools of activity of the Global program against money-laundering are:

• Rendering of technical assistance to developing countries;
• The organization of training seminars;
• Granting of teaching materials;
• Spread of knowledge among various states;
• Carrying out of researches, analysis and gathering of data in the sphere of counteraction to legalization of criminal incomes.

International Money-Laundering Information Network (IMOLIN) operates within the limits of the specified program. With its help international and national bodies exchange information on national legislation in the sphere of counteraction to money-laundering. There is a closed information database on counteractions to money-laundering except web site IMOLIN which is in open access for Internet users.

Detailed information you can find on the official site of the UNODC