Group meetings must take place every 18 months, in person; Brazil occupies the presidency of the group
Ministers and representatives from 9 South American countries met this Thursday (November 13, 2025), at the Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security, to create the Mercosur Strategy Commission against Transnational Organized Crime. The group’s objective is to guide and optimize Mercosur’s coordination in combating criminal organizations that operate in more than one country.
The meeting, requested by the minister , included the participation of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Panama. At this moment, Brazil holds the presidency of the group.
“This represents not only a permanent body to face this problem, but this body will also be responsible for establishing a permanent strategy, a strategy with short, medium and long-term objectives that will allow for even greater integration of Mercosur member states.“, disse Lewandowski.
The meeting was held at a time when the government is concerned about the The issue has reverberated in public opinion, influencing the president’s (PT).
Meetings every 18 months
Commission meetings, in accordance with established guidelines, must take place every 18 months, in person, to outline coordinated actions to combat trafficking. The members must be:
- Ministries of the Interior, Public Security and Justice.
- Police bodies.
- Prosecutors.
- Financial intelligence units.
- Other competent authorities.
According to the Ministry of Justice, the group aims to organizations that, in the South American context, They created integrated trafficking networks that involve production, transportation, sale and money laundering, with a strong presence in Brazil and neighboring countries such as Paraguay and Bolivia.
Safety in the Bioceanic Corridor
According to the members who participated in the event, another challenge to be faced by the group is , which connects the main Mercosur countries. The corridor is a large logistics integration project that aims to connect the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean
“Obviously, a corridor of this nature, spanning thousands of kilometers, faces security problems, but Mercosur members are prepared and have now signed a declaration to precisely guarantee the safety of people and the flow of goods through this bioceanic corridor”, said Lewandowski, in an interview with journalists.
Corridors create conditions that facilitate the spread of trafficking when there are oversight failures and inequality in the presence of the State.
“We are increasingly becoming aware that it is a global phenomenon. Only integrated work can generate an effective result. This globalization of organized crime is new work, we are learning from each other“, said minister Ricardo Lewandowski.
Committee
The agreement between the countries creates the CTIC (Intergovernmental Technical Coordination Committee), whose main functions are to coordinate and promote the actions necessary to implement Mercosur’s strategy against organized crime.
The committee will have the following functions, which define the nature of its activities together:
- Coordinate work with a multisectoral and operational focus;
- Propose common priority lines that must be observed by all meetings and forums of the bloc with competence in matters relevant to the fight against organized crime;
- Promote the adoption of concrete actions by the States Parties and Associated States of Mercosur;
- Ensure the completion of products defined by Mercosur forums, aimed at achieving established priorities;
- Periodically monitor the implementation of the commission’s priority lines.
