Iran Statement at 13th UNTOC COP under agenda item 5

Statement by the Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran before 13th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime under Agenda Item 5: Technical Assistance (22 October 2026)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Mr. President,

Effective implementation of the Convention depends not only on political commitment but also on the practical capacity of States to translate treaty provisions into functioning national systems.

For many developing countries, implementation challenges are directly connected to shortages of specialized expertise, technology, equipment, financial resources and institutional capacity. Technical assistance must therefore remain a central pillar of the Convention's implementation.

The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that such assistance should be guided by several basic principles.

First, it must be needs-based and demand-driven. Recipient States are best placed to identify their national priorities, institutional gaps and operational requirements.

Second, assistance should be provided without discrimination or political conditionality. Combating transnational organized crime is a shared interest, and access to assistance should not depend on political considerations unrelated to implementation of the Convention.

Third, capacity-building should go beyond general training. In many areas, meaningful assistance requires access to appropriate technologies and equipment, specialized forensic capabilities, legal expertise and practical operational support.

Mr. President,

The technological dimension is increasingly important. Criminal networks exploit artificial intelligence, digital platforms, virtual assets, encrypted communications and other tools with growing sophistication. If competent authorities in developing countries cannot access relevant technologies, the gap between criminal capability and law-enforcement capacity will continue to widen.

Technical assistance should also be sustainable. Short-term projects can be useful, but lasting national capacity requires institutional development, training of national experts and the ability to maintain acquired capacities after individual projects have concluded.

UNODC has an important role in facilitating such assistance, upon request, while ensuring coordination, national ownership and avoidance of duplication.

The Islamic Republic of Iran also reiterates that unilateral coercive measures are unlawful and illegitimate and contrary to international law and the Charter of the United Nations. By restricting access to financial resources, technologies, equipment and international service channels, such measures directly undermine technical cooperation and can prevent States from acquiring capacities necessary for effective implementation of the Convention.

 Mr. President,

Our objective should be straightforward. Every State willing to strengthen implementation should have a fair and non-discriminatory opportunity to obtain the capacities necessary to do so.

We stands ready to cooperate with UNODC and Member States toward that objective.

 I thank you.