MERCOSUR Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime

Under the Brazilian Pro Tempore Presidency, the MERCOSUR States Parties approved the MERCOSUR Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime (EMCCOT) and the establishment of the MERCOSUR Commission against Transnational Organized Crime (CMCOT), a landmark initiative to strengthen regional cooperation in the fields of public security and justice.

The EMCCOT establishes a unified regional process for identifying threats, defining common priorities, and coordinating actions aimed at preventing, investigating, and suppressing transnational organized crime, including, among other forms, illicit drug trafficking, money laundering, environmental crimes, and the trafficking of arms and persons.

The MERCOSUR Commission against Transnational Organized Crime (CMCOT) will coordinate the work of the EMCCOT, bringing together high-level representatives of the competent authorities of the States Parties and, when appropriate, of the Associated States. The Commission will be supported by an Intergovernmental Technical Coordination Committee, responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Strategy with an operational and results-oriented focus.

With the approval of the Strategy and the Commission, the States Parties now have a more integrated regional framework to address transnational organized crime.

The initiative reflects the commitment of Brazil and MERCOSUR to strengthening regional cooperation and adopting coordinated responses to challenges that transcend national borders. Inspired by successful models of interinstitutional coordination, the EMCCOT emphasizes consensus-building, resource optimization, and the monitoring of tangible results, with a view to enhancing the effectiveness of public security policies in the region.