G7 leaders launch ports network to curb global drug trafficking
National
By
David Njaaga
| Jun 17, 2026
Group of Seven (G7) leaders have agreed to launch a new international ports network and joint action plans to combat global drug trafficking networks that threaten national security and economic stability.
The agreement was reached during the annual summit of the G7, an informal forum of the world's leading industrialised democracies.
The bloc comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US), with the European Union (EU) participating as a non-enumerated member.
Kenya is part of the meeting, attending as an invited partner nation alongside Brazil, Egypt, India and the Republic of Korea.
In a joint declaration, which Kenya and other guest nations backed, the leaders said global drug trafficking has expanded sharply in recent years due to record production, rising demand and the increasing adaptability of organised crime.
They observed that the trade fuels corruption and violence while exploiting weaknesses in international systems.
The leaders committed to strengthening international cooperation and scaling up efforts to prevent, investigate and prosecute organised criminal groups while enhancing anti-money laundering measures and asset recovery systems.
A key outcome of the declaration is the creation of the G7+ Ports Network to Combat Drug Trafficking, which will bring together major maritime ports from G7 countries and partner nations to improve coordination, information sharing and implementation of best practices.
The initiative will also establish an inventory of measures used to counter drug and precursor chemical trafficking through ports.
The leaders tasked relevant ministers with implementing the network by November 2026 and strengthening port and shipping security standards in cooperation with the private sector.
The declaration also calls for a comprehensive G7 Action Plan against the infiltration of public and private institutions by drug trafficking networks. Ministers must develop the plan by November 2026.
The leaders pledged greater support for international and regional partners to tackle drug production, transportation and consumption.
They welcomed a Regional Security Conference in Martinique and encouraged participants to take enforcement measures against drug and arms trafficking networks.
The G7 also pledged support for agencies including Interpol, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) to strengthen global counternarcotics efforts.
In addition, the leaders committed to reducing drug demand through prevention, treatment and recovery programmes while strengthening early warning systems and national drug monitoring mechanisms.
They also vowed to target illicit financial flows linked to drug trafficking, human trafficking, corruption, fraud and money laundering by expanding financial investigations and improving information sharing among law enforcement agencies.
"We will spare no effort to reduce demand and minimise the adverse public health and social consequences of drug use," the leaders noted in the declaration.
The declaration followed discussions among G7 members and partner countries on strengthening collective action against transnational organised crime and the financial networks that sustain it.