Eugenio Zoffili addresses the Conference on the Fight Against Organized Crime in the OSCE Region, Rome, 5 June 2025ROME, 6 June 2025 – The two-day Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Organized Crime, hosted by the Italian Parliament and organized by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative on Combating Organized Crime, Eugenio Zoffili (Italy), concluded today in Rome. The event brought together some 80 parliamentarians from more than 25 OSCE participating States, providing an opportunity to explore the links between organized crime, corruption and terrorism.

High-level speakers underlined the crucial role of parliamentary diplomacy in addressing the cross-border nature of organized and other forms of serious crime, and stressed the importance of information-sharing and legislative co-operation.

“The objective we have set ourselves is to create a high-profile institutional and political moment, capable of generating a renewed common will, a concrete platform for dialogue and co-operation, and above all, a shared strategic direction to make action in the fight against organized crime more effective,” said Zoffili in his opening remarks.

The opening session also featured remarks by Lorenzo Fontana, President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, and Ignazio La Russa, President of the Senate of the Republic. Matteo Salvini, Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, addressed the conference in-person, along with OSCE PA President Pia Kauma (Finland); Giorgio Silli, Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy; Nicola Molteni, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of the Interior; and Roberto Montella, Secretary General of the OSCE PA.

“Increasingly, it is clear that emerging technologies can be misused to facilitate organized crime, corruption, and terrorism,” said President Kauma. “Poorly regulated cryptocurrencies, blockchain technologies, and biased algorithms present vulnerabilities exploited by criminal actors. Artificial intelligence is similarly being used for dangerous purposes. These challenges affect all our societies and require a concerted response.”

Secretary General Montella highlighted the Assembly’s integrated response to transnational threats, emphasizing the importance of an integrated approach. “The challenges we have including the one we are debating today – the fight against corruption, terrorism and organized crime – are transnational threats,” he said. “They cannot be dealt with national politics alone. You need co-operation and the OSCE is a forum for co-operation.”

Kyriakos Hadjiyianni addresses Session I, Rome, 5 June 2025In the first session, the Fourth Inter-Parliamentary Forum of South East Europe was co-organized by the Italian Delegation to the OSCE PA and Special Representative on South East Europe Kyriakos Hadjiyianni (Cyprus).

Moderated by Hadjiyianni, the session featured contributions from parliamentarians and experts, followed by a dynamic exchange of experiences and best practices. Participants concluded the forum by adopting a joint declaration reaffirming their commitment to enhanced regional co-operation and friendly relations.

“Organized crime undermines economic development, public trust, and stability,” said Hadjiyianni. “Our institutions must co-operate across borders with maximum co-ordination and mutual trust to counter these threats effectively.”

The second session, moderated by Special Representative Zoffili, focused on the social reuse of assets confiscated from criminal organizations as a strategic tool in dismantling criminal structures.

“The confiscation of assets represents one of the most effective means of combating organized crime,” said Zoffili, highlighting the importance of mechanisms such as mutual legal assistance and cross-border information sharing. “This is why the OSCE is an exceptional platform to encourage participating States to strengthen their legal and institutional frameworks.”

The in-depth contributions of senior officials from Italian institutions, renowned for their extensive experience in fighting organized crime and managing the confiscation of illicit assets, generated considerable interest among the parliamentarians present.

Irene Charalambides and Azay Guliyev at Session III of the Conference on the Fight Against Organized Crime in the OSCE Region, Rome, 5 June 2025Session three, chaired by OSCE PA Special Representative on Fighting Corruption Irene Charalambides (Cyprus), brought together prominent experts to discuss effective strategies to prevent and combat corruption.

“As Pope Francis said during a morning mass at the Vatican in 2014: ‘Corruption is paid by the poor,’” said Charalambides. “Let us always remember that.”

The session showcased a wide array of institutional and community-based approaches, emphasizing that effective anti-corruption efforts must be systemic, transparent, and inclusive.

On Friday, the OSCE PA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism, chaired by Kamil Aydın (Türkiye), held a session on “Trends in the OSCE Region: Youth Radicalization to Violent Extremism.”

“Terrorist organizations rely on criminal networks for funding, logistics, and recruitment,” said Aydın. “Illicit activities such as drug and arms trafficking and money laundering are fundamental to their operations. One of the most alarming developments is the radicalization of youth.”

Drawing on extensive experience in counter-terrorism, keynote speakers emphasized the urgent need for a unified and inclusive approach to address radicalization, especially among youth. The session concluded with a strong call for enhanced co-operation at all levels of society and governance.

“We need to work together and team up to declare war on organized crime towards the protection of our shared security,” said Zoffili in his concluding remarks. He also proposed the establishment of a Forum on Legality, open to all interested OSCE PA delegations, to provide continuity to the Assembly’s work on transnational threats.

The Final Declaration of the Fourth Inter-Parliamentary Forum of SEE Delegations is available here.

The list of keynote speakers for four sessions is available here.

Photos from the event are available on the OSCE PA Flickr page here.

To watch video of the conference, please click here.