Monica Juma urges global cooperation to combat cross-border fraud

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Director Monica Juma has called for enhanced global collaboration to confront the escalating issue of cross-border fraud. Speaking at a high-level event titled "Tackling Organized Fraud: A Way Forward from the Global Fraud Summit" on September 21, 2026, Juma highlighted the increasing sophistication of criminal networks and the challenges individual nations face in managing such threats.

Juma emphasized that criminal organizations now operate across multiple jurisdictions, necessitating a shift from isolated national responses to more integrated, border-spanning cooperation. She pointed out that weak cooperation, fragmented information, and insufficient support for victims create vulnerabilities that fraud rings can exploit. "Fraud thrives where cooperation is weak, information is fragmented, and victims are left unsupported," Juma stated.

To effectively combat this problem, Juma advocated for strengthened collaboration among governments, law enforcement agencies, the private sector, and civil society. She stressed that sustained cooperation, trust, and collective determination are essential for progress. Juma also urged nations that have not yet endorsed the outcomes of the Global Fraud Summit to support the agreements adopted during the March 2026 meeting in Vienna.

The summit, co-organized by UNODC and INTERPOL, resulted in the Call to Action on Combating Fraud and the Global Public-Private Partnership Framework against Fraud. This framework promotes shared responsibility, victim support, prevention, education, information sharing, and enhanced cooperation between governments and businesses. Juma urged wider endorsement of these instruments to bolster international efforts against fraud.

Organized fraud is identified by UNODC as a growing area of crime that intersects with cybercrime, money laundering, and other forms of transnational organized crime. The agency stressed the importance of technology-enabled criminal activities that enable fraudsters to target victims worldwide, underscoring the critical role of information sharing and coordinated investigations.

During a busy week at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Juma engaged with President William Ruto to strengthen UNODC cooperation with Kenya. Discussions focused on tackling cyber-enabled crime, maritime crime, border controls, and drug trafficking. The officials also committed to developing a coordinated strategy to address these issues with UNODC support. Juma's talks also included meetings with U.S. officials to review ongoing cooperation and identify new areas of collaboration.