Kurdistan Region joins UN conference on organized crime in Vienna

VIENNA — The Kurdistan Regional Government said it is taking part in working sessions of the United Nations Conference of the Parties to the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, held in the Austrian capital on June 29-30, 2026. Dindar Zebari, the regional government's international adviser coordinator, is chairing the migrant smuggling working group meetings as part of the Iraqi delegation, according to a statement from his office. The two-day gathering, organized by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, is addressing migrant smuggling, human trafficking, drug trafficking and cross-border criminal networks. Zebari said these threats pose a growing risk to regional and international security and called for stronger international cooperation against criminal networks that exploit economic conditions. He emphasized the need to expand technical cooperation with the United Nations and UNODC, strengthen partnerships and build institutional capacity. The Kurdistan Regional Government said it is pursuing a comprehensive approach that brings together security, legal and humanitarian dimensions, and is coordinating with the Iraqi federal government and international partners to support victim protection, voluntary return and reintegration programs.