Transnational & organised crime

Publications22 September 2026

Killing “narco-terrorists” at sea: The legality of military attacks on criminal groups and drug trafficking under international human rights law and other applicable international law

The UN Special Rapporteur concludes that US military attacks against people suspected of drug trafficking cannot be justified under international law and may constitute crimes against humanity.

News2 September 2026

United States: UN experts demand end to unlawful killings at sea, as one-year death toll hits 223

UN experts condemn US military strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels, stressing that enforcement responses to trafficking are governed by human rights law.

Events

The U.S. 'war on drugs' meets the 'war on terror': Lawless killings overseas while communities suffer at home

New York City, United States

2 September 2026

As the US intensifies its militarised approach to drug policy in the name of 'narcoterrorism', the Drug Policy Alliance and the Center for Constitutional Rights discuss how this framing legitimises state violence and undermines human rights.

Publications29 July 2026

Killing Spree: Extrajudicial executions in the U.S. boat strikes campaign

WOLA documents how the US' lethal bombing campaign amounts to extrajudicial execution, has had little impact on cocaine trafficking, and demands an immediate end and accountability.

Publications20 July 2026

Counter-terrorism law, organised crime and human rights — Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism

IDPC, CELS, HRI and WOLA warn that conflating drug trafficking with terrorism enables unlawful military action, weakens human rights protections and restricts civil society space.

Publications20 July 2026

European Drug Report 2026: Trends and Developments

EUDA discusses high availability, complex synthetic drug markets and uneven access to harm reduction.

Publications17 July 2026

The promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism - Report of the UN Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights

The Special Rapporteur warns against treating organised crime groups as 'terrorists', highlighting the human rights risks of securitised, militarised responses, and calling for policy reform.

Publications6 July 2026

Extra punishment: Violence against women in the fight against organised crime

The Working Group on Women and Incarceration in Latin America analyses how the fight against organised crime affects women in contact with prison systems, as well as their families and children.

News28 May 2026

More than 120 organizations demand an end to the complicity of third countries in US extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean

The global coalition argues that the US's attacks on small boats are illegal under international law and devastating to the ecnomies of coastal communities.

News13 May 2026

‘We were terrified they were going to kill us’: fishers who survived US boat strike speak out

Amid mounting concern over extrajudicial killings and abuses carried out in the name of the 'war on drugs', survivors' stories underscore the deadly risk of the US campaign against 'narcoterrorism'.

News23 April 2026

IDPC joins global call to all states to stop facilitating US extrajudicial killings

A coalition of 125 organisations warns of human rights implications, as well as the risk of legal responsibility for States collaborating in unlawful killings at sea.

News12 April 2026

Philippines: ICC hearing gives survivors of Duterte’s 'drug war' hope

A recent ICC hearing offered a rare moment of hope in the pursuit of accountability for the deadly campaign.

Explore more content