International Day Against Transnational Organized Crime - Joint Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice

In 2024, the United Nations General Assembly declared November 15th as the “International Day for the Prevention of and Fight against Transnational Organized Crime.” The objective was to raise awareness about the importance of international cooperation in tackling this global scourge.

Combating organized crime is a priority for the Brazilian government, as reflected in actions taken at all levels to consolidate an integrated strategy to face this challenge, since the transnational dimension of organized crime requires Brazilian authorities to increasingly collaborate with other countries.

Brazil's commitment to combating transnational crime was reflected in the agenda of the Meetings of Ministers of Interior and Security and of the Ministers of Justice of MERCOSUR, held in Brasília on November 13th and 14th. At Brazil’s initiative, the following were submitted for approval by the MERCOSUR Common Market Council: a draft to provide MERCOSUR with a Strategy against Organized Crime—aimed at integrating and coordinating the Bloc’s efforts to confront criminal organizations; the “Cooperation Agreement to Strengthen the Fight against Human Trafficking”; and the creation of a Working Group on Asset Recovery in MERCOSUR.

These initiatives within MERCOSUR come one week after the establishment—also at Brazil’s initiative—of the “Coalition for Multilateral Action against Environmental Crimes” at a meeting in Rio de Janeiro, which aims to launch negotiations for a multilateral legal framework on the subject under the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (Palermo Convention).

Brazil has reinforced the legal bases for international cooperation against crime through the signing of significant agreements, such as the constitutive treaty of AMERIPOL in 2023; the agreement with the European Union for cooperation between the Federal Police and EUROPOL in 2025; the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime in 2025; the Tripartite Command Agreement among Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay in 2025; as well as bilateral treaties in the area of public security with countries such as Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, India, Portugal, the United Kingdom, among others.

Special attention has been given to combating organized crime in the Amazon and to environmental crimes—a field in which Brazil plays a leading role, with actions such as the aforementioned launch of the “Coalition for Multilateral Action against Environmental Crimes”; the establishment of the Special Commission on Public Security of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO); and the creation of the Amazon International Police Cooperation Center (CCPI-Amazônia).

The Brazilian government has also strengthened the Federal Police’s presence abroad, increasing the number of police attaché offices in diplomatic missions from 20 to 34, with representation on five continents. In 2024, a Brazilian citizen was elected as Secretary-General of INTERPOL (Federal Police Delegate Valdecy Urquiza) — the first citizen from a developing country to lead the organization in its more than one hundred years of existence.

On the International Day for the Prevention of and Fight against Transnational Organized Crime, the Brazilian government celebrates the progress achieved through these actions and renews its full commitment to facing organized crime and upholding the rule of law, through the continuous strengthening of cooperation and integration at both domestic and international levels.