UN says threats to global security increasing

UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. Security Council said that threats to international peace and security from illicit cross-border trafficking in drugs, weapons, terrorists and human beings have increased as the world has become more interconnected.

A presidential statement from the U.N.’s most powerful body said that in today’s globalized society, “organized criminal groups and networks, better equipped with new information and communications technologies, are becoming diversified and connected in their illicit operations.”

The council said that in some cases this may aggravate threats to international security — including armed conflicts, terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and small arms, organized crime, piracy, the drug trade and human trafficking.

The statement, read during an open council meeting on Wednesday, called for stepped-up action to help countries secure their borders.