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The United Nations has published a report detailing the reduction of crime in South Eastern Europe, or the block of countries usually referred to as “The Balkans”.

If the report is to be believed, “the Balkan region is one of the safest in Europe” when it comes to crimes against people and property.

Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, states in the preface of the document that:

“This Report provides evidence that the Balkans are departing from an era when demagogues, secret police, and thugs profited from sanctions busting, and the smuggling of people, arms, cigarettes and drugs. While South Eastern Europe is still a major transit route for heroin, and some countries of the region remain affected by organized crime and corruption, the stereotype of the Balkans as a gangsters’ paradise no longer applies – though serious problems remain.”

The report gives credit to democracy in reducing crime.

“How did this improvement come about? Greater regional stability and democracy have put an end to war profiteering. Closer integration with the rest of Europe has opened borders and reduced the lure of illicit trans-frontier trade. Security sector reform, improved criminal justice, and closer regional cooperation have made or- ganized crime riskier and less profitable. As a result, all types of organized crime are in decline in the region.”

Still, the report states that “the progress is fragile” and problems remain.

“While dispelling a few myths and raising the profile of the Balkans as a low-crime region, the main aim of this report is to stimulate the delivery of technical assistance that can further encourage the positive trends and reduce the likelihood of a return to trouble in the Balkans.”

To read the full report, download the file here.