United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Data for Africa

Background

Although one fifth of the world's population lives in Africa and more than a quarter of all countries in the world are in Africa, the continent is, by far, the least documented region in terms of data and information on crime and drugs. Many African Governments are unable to supply information on the situation of drugs and crime in their country, including information requested by international drug and crime control treaties. Only 24 out of 53 countries (45 per cent) responded to the annual reports questionnaire in 2004, although the submission of such reports is mandatory under the provisions of the international drug control treaties. For crime data, the situation appears to be even bleaker. Only 7 out of 53 African countries (about 13 percent) responded to the Eighth United Nations Crime Trends Survey in 2005.

Even where figures are available, very often, due to limited capacities and resources of national authorities, they do not reflect the actual scale and extent of the problem.

The absence of reliable information contributes to the limited attention devoted to solving crime and safety problems in the region which, in turn, may hamper the development of properly targeted technical assistance. The lack of data collection systems also negatively impacts overall development of African countries and all efforts by African Governments and the international community to reverse the situation. To address these problems, the programme Data for Africa was launched in 2005. The initial duration of the programme is 3 years.

The need to improve the collection, analysis and dissemination of information on crime and drugs in Africa was also identified as the theme of one of six clusters of priority interventions in the Programme of Action for Africa 2006-2010, adopted by the Abuja Round Table on Drugs and Crime as Impediments to Security and Development in Africa (September 2005). Cluster VI of the Programme called for the urgent development of mechanisms to collect, analyze, publish and disseminate data on drugs, crime and victimization in Africa.

Programme description

The overall objective is to assist African countries and the international community in better monitoring and understanding drugs and crime problems and trends in Africa and their links with socio-economic development. Through coordination, advocacy and capacity-building for the improvement of data collection and reporting of drugs and crime data issues at national and sub-regional level, the programme will help generate better statistics, information and analysis on drugs and crime in Africa.

Activities planned for 2007 and 2008

The activities to be developed will be tied to the programme's objective of collecting, analyzing and disseminating data on drugs and crime in Africa. In 2007-2008, the main emphasis will be put on data collection, which is the fundamental building material for analysis and dessimination.

1) Increase responses to Institutional Questionnaires (ARQ, Crime Trend Survey)

To increase the responses to the institutional questionnaires (Annual Report Questionnaire on drugs and Crime Trend Survey), the programme will follow the traditional approach of trainings and workshops, identify needs for improvement of the quality of the data, and networking. The activities to be developed will complement and strengthen other UNODC initiatives, like the Global Assessment Programme and activities developed by regional offices.

2) Implement Surveys

The UN Development Account provides for the implementation of 8 national crime victim surveys. The support-project will provide the expertise for organizing and supervising these surveys, which will be implemented through national institutions (e.g. national statistics centres)..The selection of the countries where to implement such surveys, will be made on recommendations from the relevant UNODC regional offices. As of October 2008, UNODC has signed an agreement with UNAFRI to implement a Crime Victim Survey in Uganda. Discussions are underway to conduct Crime Victim Survey in Egypt and in Burkina Faso. Contacts have been made with UN-Habitat to develop a Crime Victim Survey in Tanzania.

Beside the resources provided by the Development Account, additional surveys can be developed through provision of technical expertise to the data collection components of other UNODC projects, e.g. in Nigeria (NGAS08), Cape Verde (CPSS28), Morocco (GLOC93).

3) Compile data collected by other institutions

The Crime Victim Surveys follows a standard questionnaire and a methodology that can be implemented by any institution. UNODC will therefore seek to establish contacts and collaborate with UN organisations (e.g. UN-Habitat) and NGOs (Small Arms Survey) that already implement or could implement such surveys in Africa. The objective of this collaboration is to ensure the standardization of the surveys and the sharing of the data.
The programme 'Data for Africa' will establish a list of existing relevant indicators and studies on drugs and crime available outside UNODC. These external indicators and studies, compiled in a unique database, will complement the information obtained by UNODC and contribute to a better understanding of the drug and crime phenomenon in Africa.

Implementation arrangements

The programme 'Data for Africa' is supported by a project (RAFU09), which provides for a core capacity within UNODC to develop, coordinate and implement data collection activities in Africa. A Programme Management Expert (L-4), funded under the support project RAFU09 and based in Dakar, Senegal (ROSEN), has the overall responsibility for the management of the programme.

The Programme Management Expert (L-4) will be responsible for the following:

• Overall coordination and management of the project
• Support the development and implementation of sub-regional components and field activities, including trainings and surveys
• Preparation of reports.

Institutional arrangements

The programme is carried out by the UNODC Research and Analysis Section with the UNODC Africa and the Middle East Section and the four African Field Offices of UNODC located in Cairo, Dakar, Nairobi and Pretoria. Collaboration with UNAFRI and UNICRI has been agreed upon in principle and will further be pursued on specific activities. The programme will seek cooperation with the African Regional Economic Communities. In particular, it is expected to establish links with ECOWAS and SADC. Further cooperation will be established with the Economic Commission for Africa for programme components of mutual interest. The information produced may build useful indicators for the NEPAD African Peer Review Mechanism. Partnership with UNSD, UN-Habitat and Interpol is also foreseen. Further cooperation may be established with UNICEF, ILO and IOM, on the basis of consultations held in the preparatory phase.

Funding

The support project already received some funding from the Government of France and Sweden. The project Collection and analysis of data on trends in drugs, crime and victimization in Africa , approved in the proposed programme budget for funding under the UN Development Account for the biennium 2006-2007, will provide funding to cover part of the activities. Synergies with other ongoing and planned projects in the region will be sought. In particular, the use of standardised methodologies identified by the project will be promoted in data collection activities included in project CPVS28 (Anti-organized crime and counter-narcotics enforcement in Cape Verde), and support to the project NGAS08 (Support to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Nigerian Judiciary).

The programme is carried out in close collaboration with UNAFRI