Regional Summit on Citizen Security and Justice Addresses Transnational Organized Crime

The Regional Summit on Citizen Security and Justice is taking place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from September 8 to 9, 2025. The summit, promoted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), addresses the pressing issues of high rates of lethal violence, the expansion of illicit economies, and sophisticated organized crime in the Latin America and Caribbean region. The meeting brings together ministers of justice and security from the region, as well as representatives from non-regional IDB member countries, strategic partners, and key stakeholders.

Key Takeaways:

• The Regional Summit on Citizen Security and Justice aims to strengthen alliances, share experiences, and define a joint action plan until 2026 to address transnational organized crime.
• The summit focuses on four priority areas: effective prosecution to respond to organized crime, cross-border cooperation and border security, comprehensive strategies against money laundering and illicit markets, and the protection of vulnerable populations in the context of organized crime.
• The National Secretary of Public Security (Senasp) of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP), Mario Sarrubbo, highlighted the importance of cross-border security and the need to address common threats as shared solutions to combat organized crime.
• The Alliance for Security, Justice and Development, launched in December 2024, involves 22 countries in the region and 11 strategic allies, providing coordinated responses to organized crime.
• The summit has brought together high-level officials and experts to discuss crucial issues such as effective criminal prosecution, institutional strengthening, and international cooperation to address the region's common challenges.
• The IDB has promoted the summit to create a space for dialogue, exchange of experiences, and joint actions between actors in the security and justice sector and other strategic sectors in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Statistics:

• The Latin America and Caribbean region has some of the highest rates of lethal violence in the world.
• Organized criminal groups in the region are becoming increasingly diverse and sophisticated.
• The transnational and diverse nature of illicit economies and related crimes such as human trafficking, money laundering, and child recruitment requires a coordinated response among state actors.
• The summit is expected to create a more coordinated, comprehensive, and sustainable agenda to address the region's common challenges.

Sources:

• Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP)
• Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
• Alliance for Security, Justice and Development
• Senasp - Secretariat of National Public Security (Senasp)
• Ministry of National Security of Argentina