Established in 1997, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) aims to form a coordinated response to the illicit trafficking and abuse of drugs, crime, international terrorism, and political corruption. It cannot directly affect state action; nonetheless, the legally binding 2003 UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its accompanying protocols committed states to taking action against illicit trafficking, smuggling, and manufacturing. Today, the UNODC pursues crime prevention and criminal justice by conducting research and providing guidance to governments.
This committee welcomes both beginner and experienced delegates. Although strongly encouraged and required for an award, position papers are not mandatory. Those who wish to be considered for awards must submit their position papers by January 22, 2027, at 23:59 PST. More information about position papers can be found in the Position Paper Guide, on the Delegate Resources Page.
Topic A: The Red Market: Human Organ Trafficking (Click to show summary)
The Red Market refers to the illicit market where brokers, traffickers, and recipients buy, harvest, and sell organs. It operates in the vacuum of global organ demand, where legitimate avenues are far too inefficient and are illegally subsidized by criminal organizations. Economically vulnerable individuals are coerced into selling their organs without informed consent. They are often left without adequate post-op care and suffer extreme consequences, many without sufficient payment or payment at all. On the demand side, wealthy recipients travel abroad to bypass domestic regulation and skip waiting lists. Legislative gridlock and a lack of international cooperation allows transplant tourism and illicit organ harvesting to continue despite condemnation.
Topic B: Sand Mafias (Click to show summary)
Concrete is an indispensable resource that fosters the very foundation of urban flourishing. It demands a very specific type of sand and aggregate; aggregate that can only be found in ecologically sensitive areas. Legal sand suppliers can no longer keep up with the rate of civil expansion, thus turning over a portion of the burden of supply to organized crime rings. These organizations extract unfathomable amounts of sand from protected areas, collapsing entire ecosystems and causing irreversible harm, especially in developing regions. Smaller nations are losing coastlines and communities for other countries to build skyscrapers and physically expand territory.
Evan Guo | Director
As a 10th Grade student at St. George’s School, Evan is absolutely elated to be serving as the Director of UNODC at VMUN 2027. Since the ripe old age of 12, he has been continually intrigued by Model UN as a supplement to his love of debate. He first experienced the hospitality of the MUN community when a dais permitted him to join their crisis committee mid-conference, without prior designation. As a Director, he hopes to extend the same warmth and support to his delegates. Outside of the committee room, Evan can be found sauntering along various beaches, struggling to play guitar, and scrolling through Facebook Marketplace for vintage BMWs. He looks forward to new experiences and inspiring others as he was all those years ago.
Sam Smith | Chair
As a Grade 10 at Crofton House School, Sam is honoured to serve as the Chair for UNODC at VMUN 2027. Following her first conference in Grade 8, Sam found a passion for staying up late writing position papers, anxiously delivering secondary speeches, and debriefing the conference with her sponsor teachers in great detail. Since then, her passion for MUN has only grown alongside her, as have the many memories and friendships created through a shared love of diplomacy. Outside the committee room, she can be found hiking, trying new restaurants, and obsessing over Max Verstappen… all with a can of Red Bull in her hand. Sam is extremely excited to meet all the delegates and hopes they all have an enriching experience at this year’s iteration of VMUN.
Aadya Khurana | Assistant Director
Aadya Khurana, a senior at Johnston Heights Secondary is excited to take on the roll of Assistant Director for UNODC at VMUN 2027. She has been involved in Model United Nations for the past four years and throughout her MUN journey, she has taken on various leadership and conference roles, developing a strong passion for diplomacy, debate, and collaborative problem solving. She looks forward to creating an engaging and dynamic experience for delegates. Outside of MUN, Aadya is a dedicated dancer, and an executive at a nonprofit organization, where she enjoys contributing to initiatives that support and empower her community. In her free time, she is a self proclaimed “screenager” who enjoys being glued to her phone at all times. Aadya is excited to welcome delegates to VMUN and hopes to make UNODC a memorable and rewarding experience for everyone involved.
You can contact the Director at unodc@vmun.com. Any questions regarding the committee or its debate procedures will be answered by email. Position papers must also be submitted to this address.