Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Colombia, Ecuador, Maldives, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, and Peru have collaborated with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to produce the first-ever national estimates on illicit financial flows (IFFs) associated with drug trafficking, trafficking in persons, and smuggling of migrants.

This groundbreaking initiative aims to tackle the global challenge of illicit financial activities.

The official estimate report states, “Drug trafficking is estimated to have generated an annual average of $481 million in outward IFFs between 2017 and 2021. This estimate includes the trafficking in methamphetamine tablets, heroin and synthetic opioids such as buprenorphine and phensidyl.”

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The estimates, which have been made possible with the support of the UNODC, are now available on the UN's Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Indicators Database.

Additionally, a recent report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has unveiled preliminary findings on tax and commercial IFFs from eleven African nations through an informative infographic.

Reducing IFFs by 2030 stands as a significant priority under the United Nations' SDG 16. This goal seeks to promote peace, justice, and strong institutions. As custodians of SDG indicator 16.4.1, UNCTAD and UNODC work collaboratively to measure the total value of inward and outward IFFs in current US dollars.

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Both organizations have been actively assisting countries in generating transparent, reliable, and internationally comparable statistics on IFFs. 

By shedding light on the sectors, activities, and channels that are most susceptible to illicit financial flows, these statistics serve as a crucial tool in identifying priority areas where immediate action is required to combat such illicit activities.

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