The objective was to establish a common understanding on the scale and urgency of combating transnational organized crime and the identification of short-term measures that could support the effective and efficient development and implementation of a National Plan to Combat Transnational Organized Crime.

According to the Judiciary Police, the challenges of combating drug trafficking and organized crime in Guinea-Bissau are many, such as a legal framework, more detailed and flexible investigation techniques, lack of material resources, technical and operational training, data collection and the ability to establish partnerships with neighboring countries.

"The matter of fighting and combating drug trafficking and abuse and consumption must get from the State, a vision and a set of ways to think about how to combat this phenomenon, and this should be reflected in the national strategic plan," defended the Deputy Director of the Judicial Police, Domingos Corrreia.

To the head of UNIOGBIS’ Drug Trafficking and Organized Crime Section (DTOC), Antero Lopes,  "there is a political process with well-defined goals, and some support to State reforms is necessary for institutions to get strengthened capacities in order to fulfill their role of preventing and combating organized crime, but such support will be intensified after the parliamentary elections."

Participants concluded that in order to effectively combat transnational organized crime, Bissau-Guinean authorities need to improve the professional standards of combat institutions, review laws and policies, management of information and data, cooperation and coordination between institutions, establish partnerships. In addition, it is essential that there be respect for the constitution and civilian oversight of defense and security.

Other concrete proposals include the creation of a Group of Friends countries to develop strategies to prevent and combat the scourge of DTOC from origin, transit and destination.

The recommendations will now be translated into a National Plan to Combat Transnational Organized Crime, which has already begun to be elaborated.

The Security Council, through Resolution 2404 (2018), defined, among others, as a priority for UNIOGBIS to “provide strategic and technical advice and support to the Government of Guinea-Bissau to combat drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, in close cooperation with UNODC." The negative impact of organized crime, in particular drug trafficking, corruption, money laundering and illegal exploitation of natural resources has been recognized at the highest level by the Guinea-Bissau authorities and their fight against as a national priority.

In June 2018, the President of the Republic and the Government of Guinea-Bissau requested United Nations support to combat organized crime. In this context, the Strategic Framework for the Integrated Support of UNIOGBIS and UNODC was approved under the Partnership Agreement between the United Nations and the Government of Guinea-Bissau to national authorities to Combat drug trafficking and transnational organized crime.