laboratory and SCIENTIFIC SERVICES
Introducing the UNODC
The UNODC Laboratory and Scientific Services (LSS) strengthens forensic capacity and skills worldwide. Our tailored in-house services leverage science and innovation to deliver cutting-edge solutions across the areas of drugs, crime and terrorism.
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Global network of 317 Forensic laboratories
supporting Forensic services in 185 countries
Areas of impact
Justice Tettey, Chief, Drugs, Laboratory and Scientific Services Branch
“The Laboratory and Scientific Services is committed to a collaborative approach to developing, providing and facilitating global access to scientific information and services to support and protect peace, security, human rights, health and the environment.”
OUR Services in more detail
Providing over 40 manuals and guidelines on recommended methods of laboratory analysis and quality assurance.
Equipping front-line officers with drug and precursor testing equipment and laboratory and field-based training.
Training front-line officers and forensic laboratories on advanced drug identification and analysis methods.
Our scientific services:
We enhance the capacity of front-line officers and forensic scientists to detect and identify drugs, along with the precursor chemicals and equipment used in their illicit manufacture. We also ensure that drug testing and toxicology laboratories have the knowledge and tools needed to analyse and identify substances.
people trained annually
items of drug & precursor detection equipment provided to 101 countries to date
240
7,600+
Bob Van Den Berghe, UNODC Container Control Programme
“LSS drug and precursor identification and safe handling training made the units [made up of law enforcement and customs officers] safer in executing their duties and more effective and efficient in identifying shipments that are being exploited to traffic drugs. Training has enabled units to make more seizures which are more accurate.”
In order to predict and prevent future drug crises, it is vital to know which substances should be considered for international control and monitoring. We work with Member States and international bodies to ensure the necessary scientific information is available to guide international, regional and national drug control strategies.
Informing international scheduling decisions by providing technical and scientific expertise to the treaty bodies (CND, WHO and INCB).
Promoting the use of scientific data from forensic drug testing laboratories in drug policy decisions.
Providing key scientific information on the most prevalent, persistent and harmful substances to enable international action.
Our scientific services:
RELEVANT International Resolutions 2018 - 2023
CND - Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Gilles Forte, World Health Organization
“The scientific and analytical information LSS provides, including from the forensic Early Warning System, is essential for informed evidence-based decision making for effective responses to emerging drug threat… This information supports Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) discussions with respect to substances that are proposed for scheduling and feeds into decisions for legislative responses on a national and/or international level.”
To respond to emerging drug threats, health professionals need to know which substances are being used and what their effects are. The Forensic Early Warning System gathers data globally from illicit drug seizures and toxicology reports to inform health responses with timely scientific information. In addition, information from online drug trafficking activity enables new threats to be identified even earlier to predict and prevent new crises from happening.
Directing the spectrum of drug demand reduction strategies with scientific information on substances of concern.
Providing healthcare professionals with information to better prepare emergency health responses.
Identifying the most harmful, prevalent, and persistent substances through forensic early warning.
Our scientific services:
Examples of warnings generated by the forensic early warning system to inform health responses
user sessions across 198 countries in 2021
Nayelly Loya Marín, UNODC Global Programme on Cybercrime
“Our cybercrime investigative units have benefited from scientific information from the Laboratory and Scientific Services. This information empowers us to more accurately identify new chemicals and synthetic drugs that are being trafficked online before they end up in seizures, or worse, causing fatalities."
A strong criminal justice system is crucial to enable successful prosecutions in drug trafficking cases. A key part of that strength is ensuring that everyone is given a fair trial. The Laboratory and Scientific Services helps to do this by building the capacity of forensic laboratories to reliably analyse and present evidence to support criminal justice proceedings.
Providing judges and prosecutors with forensic training and scientific knowledge.
Training forensic scientists in best practice for handling and presenting evidence to support criminal justice proceedings.
Quality assurance for drug testing laboratories via manuals, guidelines, reference materials and the International Collaborative Exercises programme (ICE).
Our scientific services:
laboratories from 92 countries have participated in the ICE programme, strengthening the reliability of forensic evidence to secure the rule of law and safeguard human rights
“The ICE programme helped to improve our laboratory performance and was fundamental for development and validation of qualitative and quantitative methods and it was especially helpful to access valuable reference materials"
Forensic Chemistry Laboratory of Brazilian Federal Police, Brazil
“The ICE progamme helps us to continuously monitor our performance and assures the reliability of our test results. The reference materials provided by UNODC are of great benefit for confirmatory testing as well as for quantitative analysis of drugs in seized material and toxicological examination."
The Forensic Science Laboratory, Mauritius
“Thanks to participation in the programme since 1998, we have been able to introduce good laboratory practice and the laboratory has been accredited for illegal drugs. In the future we hope for even closer and more fruitful cooperation."
Laboratory of Toxicology and Drug-Forensic Department, Toxicology and Drug Section, Ministry of Interior, Republic of North Macedonia
“Thanks to the ICE programme, we are able to continuously monitor our laboratory’s performance and ensure the validity and accuracy of our test results. We greatly appreciate and value the hard work by the ICE programme team."
The Illicit Drugs Laboratory and Analytical Toxicology Laboratory,
Health Sciences Authority, Singapore
Glen Prichards, UNODC CRIMJUST Programme
“LSS services in partnership with CRIMJUST have helped forensic scientists to prepare evidence for criminal justice proceedings and provide testimony in court. They also help judges and prosecutors to understand the challenges in respect of prosecuting cases of synthetic opioids trafficking.”
The ability to quickly detect fraudulent documents is essential for responding to human trafficking, migrant smuggling, drug trafficking and other crimes. Under the UNODC ICE programme, the Laboratory and Scientific Services has created a specialised proficiency testing portal to strengthen the global capacity of front-line officers to examine documents and currency.
Provision of security document examination equipment for front-line officers.
Specialised on-site training for detecting counterfeit, falsified, and altered security documents and currency.
Proficiency testing for document examiners via the International Collaborative Exercises in Security Document Examination (ICE-SecDoc).
Our scientific services:
The safety of those attending crime scenes and the preservation of evidence along the chain of custody is paramount for fostering peace and security. We offer equipment and training for first responders, law enforcement officers, forensic scientists, prosecutors and judges investigating a range of crime scenes including clandestine laboratories, wildlife crimes and battlefields.
Safeguarding the peace and security of communities and the environment through providing guidance and training on the safe disposal of toxic chemicals and hazardous materials identified at crime scenes.
Protecting first responders and investigators at crime scenes by providing training on safe handling and personal protective equipment.
Providing specialised crime scene investigation kits and training to support the secure handling of evidence throughout the chain of custody.
Our scientific services:
85
participants trained across 10 countries
Onuotta Titilola, Investigation Officer, Nigerian Postal Service
“This training has helped me drastically. On the front lines we are exposed to so many dangers that we are not even aware of and before we were not that safety conscious. Sometimes we are so excited that ‘We’re going to catch this person’ or ‘We need to stop this’ that we touch things, we sniff, and sometimes some people taste. But with this training I will go back and tell them that they are playing with their health, and to be more careful.”
Using science to enhance knowledge, practical skills, strategic directions, policies and legislation, together we can strengthen global responses to make the world safer from drugs, crime, and terrorism.
Protecting those who protect us
Keeping front-line officers safe from exposure to toxic substances and ensuring they feel confident to execute their duties. More
UN Toolkit on Synthetic Drugs
Supporting a response to the synthetic drug problem with practical tools and resources
UNODC Synthetic Drug Strategy
Coordinating the global response to emerging synthetic drugs threats
Jennifer Loten, Director General, Global Affairs Canada
“The synthetic drug problem is a shared global problem which needs a global solution and there is no better organization to help us do that than UNODC.”
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All statistics and data correct at time of publishing