Highlights

Civil Society and the UN Convention Against Corruption

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Art. 13 of UNCAC, on the participation of civil society

Art. 13, UNCAC on Participation of Society

Civil society organizations from around the world participated in the second session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), that took place from 28 January to 2 February 2008 in Bali, Indonesia. The Coalition of the Civil Society Friends of UNCAC, which includes Transparency International and another 45 civil society organizations from all over the world, organized on 29 January a forum focusing on "whistleblowers and anti-corruption activists in hostile environments" and "the need for mechanism for review of implementation for UNCAC".

Three whistleblowers (all public servants), told their stories, which demonstrated the devastating consequences of exposing and denouncing corruption for them and their families. The output from the meeting was a decision to set up an International Solidarity Network comprising anti-corruption organisations, trade unions and others to support and protect anti-corruption activists.  Additionally, the Coalition approved its position statement (pdf) on the implementation of the Convention, which called for the creation of a transparent and participatory review mechanism, a fund for asset recovery, the coordination of technical assistance, and the protection of whistleblowers.

 

Squisito! 2007- UNODC and San Patrignano showcase the food of hope: a concrete alternative to drugs and poverty

 

  Squisito!, a unique gastronomical event organized by San Patrignano, the largest drug rehabilitation centre in Europe, took place from 28 to 30 September 2007 in Rimini, Italy.  More than 20,000 visitors took part in the three-day event, which was entirely organized by 1,800 ex-drug addicts who are undergoing rehabilitation in the community of San Patrignano.

UNODC Myanmar booth at GoodFOOD Squisito!For its social and cultural value, Squisito! received the patronage of UNODC. This is an absolute first for a food event; in fact, an entire pavilion of the fair named GoodFOOD was dedicated to exhibiting agricultural projects with social impact.

Among these projects were products grown by small rural farmers in Myanmar and Peru who participate in UNODC's Alternative Development Programme, which has been providing legitimate income-generating opportunities to small farmers previously engaged in the illicit cultivation of opium poppy over the last 30 years. The Programme works with the communities in all stages of agricultural production, from seed selection to marketing assistance.  The items presented at the fair demonstrate the end product ready for presentation to the export market.  GoodFOOD pavillion at Squisito! in Rimini, Italy

UNODC Field Offices in Peru, Myanmar and Colombia worked closely together in the organization of the event. UNODC encouraged and facilitated the participation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as DACAAR in Afghanistan and DoiTung in Thailand. Among the alternative development products that were exhibited at the fair were: green and black tea from Myanmar, coffee and macadamia nuts from Thailand, hearts of palm, cocoa and coffee from Peru, and saffron, cumin, pistachios, chickpeas and raisins from Afghanistan.

A renowned Italian chocolate maker, "VENCHI", presented the media with its prototype of the limited edition truffle created combining Italian art and ingredients with cacao beans and butter from UNODC projects in Latin America. The "Special Edition" Alternative Development Truffle will be sold at Italian airports in Christmas 2007.

"The international community should have the wisdom to tackle drug and poverty at the same time, to eradicate cause and effect," said Mr. Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of UNODC.  "It is necessary to help the millions of farmers who depend on illicit crop cultivations as opium and coca for over half of their income."

 

Civil Society and Human Trafficking

 

UNODC is actively tapping its NGO network to set up civil society involvement in the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT).  In October 2006, at the Third Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention Against Transnational Crimes and its Protocols, UNODC hosted a panel discussion on Protection of Trafficked Persons - A Human Rights Approach.

 

Civil Society engagement in the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

 

On 26 April 2007, Mr Costa, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, opened a panel discussion on The Role of Civil Society in the Prevention of Urban Violence and Organized Crime. The panel jointly organized by UNODC and the Italian NGO Libera International, Associations names and numbers against mafia presented experiences and lessons learned by NGOs from four continents in preventing and fighting urban violence and organized crime.

The panel chaired by Monica Massari of Libera International included Tonio dell'Olio, Director of Libera International, Minoru Shikita, Chairman of the Asia Crime Prevention Foundation, Lilia Solano, President of Proyecto Justicia y Vida a Colombia NGO, and Sarel Buijs of Safer Africa.

In his opening remarks, Mr Costa focused on the importance of a multilateral approach to urban violence and the valuable role that NGOs play in dealing with the negative effects of uncontrolled urbanisation.

The panel main conclusions are summarized in the following points :

  • Education is essential for creating initiatives in defence of human rights and for denouncing inequities caused by organized crime.
  • The difficulty of fighting against sophisticated networks of crime was highlighted, presenting Colombia as a case study. The need for stronger public institutions and more State credibility at the national and international levels was emphasised.
  • Concern was raised on the emergence of trans-national organised crime and the importance of a shared-responsibility approach between governments and civil society.
  • United Nations' contribution in disseminating information on the initiatives carried out in partnership with civil society was highlighted as crucial in creating more opportunities for strengthening cooperation with NGOs operating at the national, regional and international levels.

Another significant civil society event took place on 23 April 2007: the Panel Discussion on Foreigners in Prison, organized by the International Commission for Catholic Prison Pastoral Care (ICCPPC). Following up on the 2006 Exhibition of Art in Prison, the ICCPPC presented the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice with an elaborate and challenging theme: how to raise awareness of the situation of foreigners in prison.  Foreigners make up an increasing number of inmates and present new challenges to prison systems around the world.

Recent studies undertaken by ICCPPC, Prison Watch, Tilburg University (Netherlands), major universities in Austria and Germany, and Bond University in Australia were debated. The results of these efforts were compared with the European Union Project on Foreigners in European Penitentiary Institutions.