Position Paper

Committee: United Nations on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

The Global Black Market poses significant risks to the stability of the world economy and society. The
black market remains a multi-faceted issue consisting of both transactions conducted outside the
framework of legal regulations and other illegal activities such as human trafficking, arms, and drug
smuggling. Often crossing borders, the trade is carried out over multiple continents with the goods
being sourced from one, transported through another, and sold in a third. For example, most of Europe
is supplied with Afghan opiates through the "Balkan route", via the Islamic Republic of Iran, Turkey, and
South-Eastern Europe, making it a critical pathway for the transport of heroin. The black market has a
significant effect on a country's economy. The Danish Customs and Tax Administration (SKAT) seized
51,021 counterfeit items worth 172 million kroner during security checks at Copenhagen Airport in
2015. For developing countries, financial losses of this scale debilitate the government's capacity to
fund infrastructure projects thereby limiting economic growth. Moreover, the consequences lie beyond
financial losses as the black market nurtures organized crime, corruption, and violence, which
destabilize nations and undermine the rule of law. Thus leading to grotesque human rights violations,
with vulnerable populations being exploited, subjected to unsafe conditions, or murdered.

Denmark is a developed country situated in northern Europe that has taken a multitude of decisive
actions to combat the global black market. It has a strong judicial system that ensures safety. Yet, it is
not immune to the black market, often serving as a destination and transit country for human
smuggling, particularly to neighboring countries like Sweden. Denmark has strict prosecution for human
trafficking crimes. This can be evident from Section 262a of the Danish Criminal Code, punishing
human trafficking with imprisonment of up to ten years. Moreover, in 2022 section 262b of the Danish
Penal Code was introduced, which criminalises human exploitation in a broader sense. Due to its
dedication to upholding human rights Denmark's efforts have been recognized globally, A United States
govt report on Denmark states that it ranks tier 1 as it showed noteworthy initiative to combat human
trafficking. Showing the Danish government’s proactive efforts, In 2023, authorities identified 112
trafficking victims (58 sex trafficking, 23 labor trafficking, 31 unspecified/other forms of trafficking), a
significant increase from 73 in 2022 and 80 in 2021. Much like human trafficking, Denmark has also
given importance to identifying the illegal drug trade. The number of reported criminal offenses of
trafficking drugs in Denmark increased by 19 percent in 2023. Section 191 of the Danish Criminal Code
provides for stricter punishment on qualified violations of the Act on Psychoactive Substances with up
to 10 years in prison, In the exception of cannabis the universality of the use of most illicit substances
has fallen in the past 15 years. Overall, the Danish judicial system is well-equipped to deal with most
types of crime. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of convictions of members of
mafia-style groups, as well as an increase in the average sentences served by these individuals,
penalizing the creators of the issue at hand.

Combating the issue at hand requires extensive international collaboration. Denmark advocates for
active participation from other nations in global initiatives as developed countries, in particular, play a
crucial role in funding programs that aim to curb the international black market. Nations need to work
together, as many countries as it is our collective responsibility to ensure that such injustices are
prevented. Disunity only serves to empower the criminals responsible. In contrast, international
collaboration would lead to the establishment of legal frameworks to eradicate the global market. For
example, schemes to better identify, apprehend, and prosecute criminals could be implemented.
Further, free sharing of information between associated parties would help identify specific routes, and
methods used and ensure better accountability for countries with state governments aligned with the
black market as they'd be evaluated with greater oversight. Unless we can identify, monitor, and disable
transnational networks, we will not succeed in curbing the illicit trade.
Additionally, It is crucial to have stricter regulations. As of 1906/07, the world produced around 41,000
tons of opium – five times the global level of illicit opium production in 2008 thus stricter regulations are
effective. To ensure that offenders do not take advantage of weak legal frameworks. Programs that
seek to address the causes of this issue may be implemented. To combat poverty welfare programs
funded by UNODC can be implemented in developing countries but if the money is not utilized properly
it should be taken back thus promoting accountability in governments. Providing access to quality
education should be prioritized, i.e. by training teachers and sending them to rural, remote areas and
campaigns on the importance of education. Moreover, it could facilitate the growth of
government-backed infrastructure to create job availability. Thus, the subsequent risk of people from
these low socioeconomic backgrounds partaking in illegal activities can be reduced. Another key aspect
should be rehabilitation for drug addicts as well as programs that highlight the negative consequences
of drugs for example overdose to school children, and universities to discourage drug use.