UNODC

This agenda delves into the often-overlooked intersection between organized crime and ideological violence. While drug cartels are typically driven by profit, and terrorist groups by political or religious motives, their cooperation is becoming increasingly evident. Cartels often offer logistical support, smuggling routes, and financial networks, while terrorist organizations provide protection, manpower, or ideological cover. 

This symbiotic relationship allows both to expand their reach and evade detection, posing a serious threat to global security. By examining areas in Latin America, the Middle East, and parts of Africa, this discussion aims to unpack how narcotics revenues are laundered and redirected to fund terror practices. The agenda also seeks to address the role of weak governance, corruption, and porous borders in facilitating such networks, and to explore international strategies—legal, financial, and security-based—that can disrupt this dangerous nexus.