What UNODC does

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is a UN entity headquartered at the Vienna International Centre, established in 1997 through the merger of the United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) and the Centre for International Crime Prevention. UNODC operates as the global lead agency addressing the world drug problem, transnational organized crime, corruption, terrorism, cybercrime, human trafficking and migrant smuggling, crimes that affect the environment, and weaknesses in criminal justice systems. It serves 194 State Parties through a network of 90+ field, regional, and liaison offices, with major hubs in Vienna (HQ), Bangkok (ROSEAP), Brussels, New York, Abuja, Abu Dhabi, Astana, and Dushanbe. Its primary customer segments are UN Member State governments and their law enforcement, judicial, and criminal justice institutions, supplemented by vulnerable farming communities requiring alternative livelihoods, regional organizations (OSCE, INTERPOL, Frontex, EUROPOL), and civil society/NGO partners.

UNODC's core deliverables are anchored in three flagship research products: the annual World Drug Report (2026 edition released June 26, 2026), the Global Study on Homicide (fourth edition, 2023), and the UNODC Data Portal (data.unodc.org) providing globally comparable statistics on drugs, crime, and criminal justice. The Laboratory and Scientific Services division supports forensic drug analysis and testing for member states. Field-deployed technical capabilities include UAV-mounted hyperspectral imaging combined with AI-based classification for detecting illicit crops (Cannabis sativa, Ephedra sinica), demonstrated in Kyrgyzstan. Training and capacity-building programmes are co-delivered with OSCE, Frontex, INTERPOL, EUROPOL, and the German Bundeswehr Verification Centre, with priority given to officers expected to serve as future trainers. Alternative development programmes convert illicit coca fields to sustainable coffee production (e.g., 197 hectares in Bolivia's Yungas region, 223 local farmers, partnered with KOICA and Caffe On the Plan). Recent product launches include the #TrappedInScamCrime campaign against trafficking for forced criminality (December 2025, with IJM), the Fraud Alert System, and the Nigeria Country Programme 2026-2030.

UNODC is funded through assessed contributions from UN Member States and voluntary contributions from donor governments and organizations, including the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The organization accepts public donations through its donor portal. Services, data, training, and publications are provided to Member States, law enforcement agencies, researchers, and civil society at no cost, positioning UNODC as a provider of international public goods rather than a commercial enterprise. With 5,001-10,000 employees and operating geographies spanning Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Europe and West/Central Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, and global initiatives, UNODC's operating model is structurally embedded in the UN system and dependent on continued multilateral donor support.

Name

UNODC

Legal name

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Website

https://unodc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is a UN entity headquartered in Vienna that leads global efforts against illicit drugs, transnational organized crime, corruption, cybercrime, and human trafficking through treaty custodianship, research, data, training, and field programmes serving 194 Member States across 90+ country offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Crime Prevention and Drug Control

NAICS

Public Administration (92), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

United Nations System & Specialized Agencies (BPADAAAA)

Keywords

• Drug policy research
• Crime prevention programs
• Criminal justice capacity building
• Transnational organized crime
• Forensic laboratory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Voluntary contributions from Member States: UNODC is funded primarily through voluntary contributions from UN Member States, with donor countries providing the majority of operational budget. The organization maintains a donors and partners page listing funding sources.
2. Earmarked funding for specific programmes: Specific projects receive targeted funding from governments and international organizations. Examples include US Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) funding for Nigeria programmes, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for Pacific initiatives, and KOICA funding for Bolivia alternative development.
3. Donations from public: UNODC accepts donations through its website (unodc.donorsupport.co) for supporting community development projects and alternative development programmes.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

UNODC delivers research, statistical analysis, training, and technical assistance to UN Member States on drug control, crime prevention, and criminal justice reform. It produces the annual World Drug Report and Global Study on Homicide, operates the UNODC Data Portal, and supports alternative development programmes that help farming communities transition from illicit crop cultivation to sustainable livelihoods. The organization also serves as custodian of major UN conventions including the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the UN Convention against Corruption, and the UN Convention against Cybercrime.

Product overview

UNODC is a United Nations entity providing research, data, and policy support on drugs, crime, and justice issues globally. The organization operates primarily as a research and knowledge institution rather than a product company. Its portfolio includes annual research publications (World Drug Report, Global Study on Homicide), a global data portal for crime and drug statistics, awareness campaigns such as the Trapped in Scam Crime initiative targeting Southeast Asia, and treaty frameworks like the UN Cybercrime Convention. UNODC also supports alternative development programmes helping communities transition from illicit crops to sustainable livelihoods. Field offices across Africa, Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the Pacific deliver regional programmes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Blue Heart Campaign: Global awareness campaign against human trafficking
• World Drug Report
• Global Study on Homicide
• #TrappedInScamCrime Campaign
• dataUNODC

Products and services

• World Drug Report
• Global Study on Homicide
• UNODC Data Portal
• Alternative Development Programme
• Laboratory and Forensic Science Services
• UN Cybercrime Convention
• Nigeria Country Programme 2026-2030
• Fraud Alert System
• Trapped in Scam Crime Campaign
• International Day against Transnational Organized Crime

Quantifiable outcome

• 194 State Parties to UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, representing near-universal global participation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• FrontexcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026Joint training course on combating illicit trafficking of small arms, light weapons, ammunition, and explosives. Provided 42 copies of the Frontex Handbook in Kazakh language for border and customs capacities in Central Asia. Training delivered to officers from Kazakhstan's Border Service and State Revenue Committee in Almaty.
• INTERPOLcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026Co-delivered training course on combating illicit trafficking with OSCE Programme Office in Astana, Frontex, and German Bundeswehr Verification Centre.
• German Bundeswehr Verification CentresupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026Co-delivered training course on combating illicit trafficking of small arms, light weapons, ammunition, and explosives in Kazakhstan.
• OSCE Programme Office in AstanacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026Lead organizer of joint training course with Frontex, German Bundeswehr Verification Centre, INTERPOL, and UNODC. Training forms part of regional effort to strengthen border and customs capacities across Central Asia.
• International Justice Mission (IJM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 December 2025Campaign partner for #TrappedInScamCrime regional campaign, funded by U.S. Department of State. IJM contributed survivor-centred expertise to shape awareness materials and has assisted over 1,400 victims of forced scamming across Southeast Asia, supporting 15 convictions. Working to launch a regional survivor leader network.
• Bolivian GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for Alternative Development project converting 197 hectares of coca fields to coffee farms, with 223 local farmers producing high-quality specialty coffee.
• Caffe On the Plan (Korean Company)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for specialty coffee produced by Bolivian farmers in the Alternative Development project, providing sustainable income alternatives and supporting food security.
• NDLEA (National Drug Law Enforcement Agency) - NigeriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint press briefing for 2026 World Drug Day; cooperation on targeting drug cartels' financial empires; NDLEA undergoing digital transformation with UNODC support.
• UAE National Committee for Anti-Money LaunderingsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation discussions at UNODC Abu Dhabi office; coordination on joint initiatives; preparations for 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
• Blue Dragon Children's FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVietnam-based NGO partner providing long-term psychosocial care for survivors of human trafficking, including those forced into criminality in scam centres across the Mekong region. 83% of Vietnamese survivors in recent court cases were male, recruited through social media.
• EUROPOLsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational law enforcement organization facilitating cross-border cooperation on financial investigations and organized crime cases involving front companies.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE): OSCE's border management and anti-trafficking programmes in Central Asia are a direct peer activity — UNODC and OSCE jointly delivered recent trainings on illicit trafficking of small arms and ammunition in Kazakhstan.
• International Organization for Migration (IOM): IOM is the leading UN agency on migration and a peer on migrant smuggling, trafficking in persons, and victim assistance — areas where IOM and UNODC collaborate on data, policy, and direct assistance.
• World Health Organization (WHO): WHO is a UN specialized agency addressing the public-health dimensions of drug use, addiction, and HIV among people who use drugs — a clear area of overlap with UNODC's health-and-drugs mandate, where they publish joint guidance and statistics.
• INTERPOL: INTERPOL is the world's largest international police organization and a direct operational peer of UNODC on transnational crime, drug trafficking, and law-enforcement cooperation. UNODC and INTERPOL routinely co-deliver training and joint operations.
• World Customs Organization (WCO): WCO sets global customs standards and capacity-building programmes that directly intersect with UNODC's border-management work on trafficking, contraband, and firearms movement.
• Europol: Europol is the EU's law enforcement intelligence agency covering organized crime, drug trafficking, cybercrime, and trafficking in persons. It is a direct peer on operational coordination and analysis products, overlapping with UNODC's mandate.
• UNICRI (UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute): UNICRI is a UN entity focused on crime and justice research, security policy, and emerging-crime analysis. It is a tightly aligned peer on research products, AI-and-security work, and policy guidance to member states.
• Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD/OAS): CICAD is the OAS body for drug policy coordination in the Americas. It is a direct regional peer to UNODC on drug demand reduction, supply control, and hemispheric drug-data reporting.

Broad incumbents

• Council of Europe (CoE): The Council of Europe runs GRECO, GRETA, and the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, overlapping with UNODC on anti-corruption, trafficking, and cybercrime treaty regimes — a broader intergovernmental incumbent.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): UNDP is the UN's broader development agency, often co-implementing rule-of-law, anti-corruption, and criminal justice reform programmes with UNODC at country level. It is a broader UN-system incumbent that overlaps in governance and justice programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/unodc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLP1rrIC89eFD_c7QllW9mk6R-x6Ixq5P_
• Facebookfacebook.com/unodc
• Instagraminstagram.com/unodc_hq
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/6953390

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UNODC