Skip to main content
A Singapore Government Agency Website How to identify
Official website links end with .gov.sg
Secure websites use HTTPS
Look for a lock () or https:// as an added precaution. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Government officials will never ask you to transfer money or disclose bank log-in details over a phone call.

Call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799 if you are unsure if something is a scam. For more information on how to protect yourself against scams, please visit the ScamShield website (opens in new tab).

New York UN
Others

STATEMENT AT THE 81ST SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON BEHALF OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS ON AGENDA ITEMS 110 AND 111: ON CRIME PREVENTION AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE, AND INTERNATIONAL DRUG CONTROL, THIRD COMMITTEE,

7 October 2026

A concise summary of the main points regarding this article.

Mr Chair,

1.    I am pleased to speak on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

2.    Transnational criminal networks are increasingly capable of exploiting our digital connectivity and artificial intelligence to operate with greater speed, sophistication and scale. Our response must be equally agile, coordinated and resolute. Later this month, the ASEAN Ministers will meet at the 20th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime and the 9th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Drug Matters to discuss how to strengthen our collective efforts against transnational crime and illicit drugs.

3.    Illicit drugs continue to pose a serious threat in our region. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)’s latest report on Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia, the synthetic drug market in the region continues to expand rapidly. Methamphetamine seizures reached a record 349 tonnes in 2025, up 48% from the previous year.                     

4.    Behind these statistics are ordinary individuals, families and communities whose lives have been harmed by drugs. On 26 June, ASEAN marked the inaugural ASEAN Drug Victims Remembrance Day and stood in solidarity with those harmed by drugs. We remain steadfast in our vision of a Drug-Free ASEAN and unwavering in our zero-tolerance approach to illicit drugs. ASEAN reaffirms its commitment to upholding the three international drug control conventions as the cornerstone of the international drug control system. We will continue to work closely with the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, UNODC and the International Narcotics Control Board to share knowledge and best practices to combat the manufacture and trafficking of illicit drugs, and monitor and prevent the diversion of precursor chemicals for illicit drug manufacture.

Mr Chair,

5.    ASEAN takes the problem of trafficking in persons seriously. ASEAN has established a five-year workplan to tackle this challenge, built on four pillars: prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnerships. We have developed an ASEAN Compendium on International Legal Cooperation to strengthen cross-border investigations and prosecutions of trafficking-in-persons cases. We recognise that traffickers often force victims into criminal activities, such as work in scam centres and illicit drug manufacture. Therefore, ASEAN has developed indicators to help authorities identify such victims and, where appropriate, protect them from criminal liability.

6.    Compounding these challenges, many forms of transnational crimes are converging online. Criminal syndicates exploit our connected societies to recruit and defraud victims across borders and at scale. ASEAN welcomes the adoption of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime in December 2024 and its opening for signature in Ha Noi, Viet Nam last October. At the regional level, ASEAN is stepping up its response. We have refreshed our Cyber Cooperation Strategy to strengthen our resilience against cyber threats. Under this framework, the ASEAN Regional Computer Emergency Response Team serves as the focal point for regional capacity-building, timely information-sharing and crisis coordination. ASEAN will continue to coordinate regional action against scams through relevant mechanisms, including the ASEAN Anti-Scam Working Group and the ASEAN Working Group on Cybercrime and Online Scams. We have adopted the ASEAN Guide on Anti-Scam Policies and Best Practices and will work on practical initiatives to set baseline anti-scam safeguards across the region.

7.    These cross-cutting challenges are complex and fast-evolving. They do not stop at national borders; neither can our response. ASEAN remains firmly committed to deepening cooperation among our Member States, with the United Nations and the wider international community to safeguard our people.

07 OCTOBER 2026