http://www.unodc.org/unodc/feed/costas-corner.jspxCosta's Cornerhttp://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/about-unodc/costas-corner/greening-the-un.htmlWhen the UN Secretary-General recently visited the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) he was impressed with the new "M" building (meeting facility) that has been generously given to the Vienna International Centre (VIC) by the host country. He was not only impressed by the modern look of the building, he praised its state-of-the-art environmentally friendly features - for example, sensors that adjust air temperature and flows depending on the number of people in the room, or the heating system that is based on steam produced from the city's incineration facility. Mon, 05 May 2008 7:02:00 PM CESThttp://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/about-unodc/costas-corner/less-crime-for-more-development.htmlBeing called the Office on "drugs and crime" is pretty sinister. It says what we are against, not what we are for. We are known as being the centre of the UN's fight against "uncivil society", and for battling the "dark side of globalization". But I would prefer to tell people what we are in favour of, namely security and justice for all.Fri, 18 Apr 2008 3:51:19 PM CESThttp://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/about-unodc/costas-corner/baghdad-diary.htmlOn 17 March I took part in a Conference in Baghdad on good governance and anti-corruption, the first UN conference since the war. Over the three days I kept a diary which I want to share with you. The full text of my speech at the Conference is available here.Mon, 31 Mar 2008 1:13:46 PM CESThttp://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/about-unodc/costas-corner/health-the-first-principle-of-drug-policy-.htmlIt is often forgotten that health is the first principle of drug policy.  Improving security (against drug traffickers and dealers) and promoting development (to enable farmers to find sustainable alternatives to growing illicit crops) are necessary, but not sufficient, measures. Because even if you eliminate the world's entire supply of cannabis, coca, and opium, and even if you could seize all drugs in circulation, you would still have 25 million drug users looking for ways to satisfy their addiction. So the key to drug policy is reducing demand for drugs and treating addiction - and that is very much a health care issue.Tue, 18 Mar 2008 3:25:12 PM CEThttp://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/about-unodc/costas-corner/the-orphan-protocol.htmlMy Office is not an adoption agency. But I urgently need to find parents for the "forgotten protocol" of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, namely the Protocol which deals with the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms.Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:00:00 PM CEThttp://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/about-unodc/costas-corner/rebels-without-a-clue.htmlWithin Europe in recent years, a few influential pop stars and other fashion-conscious celebrities have been at the forefront of efforts to improve living standards in Africa. Bob Geldof's renowned Live Aid concerts and Bono's Drop the Debt campaign have been vital in raising political awareness and money to tackle the continent's economic crisis. Stopping the trade in blood diamonds and promoting fair trade with Africa have been two other favoured causes of the celebrity elite.Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:00:00 PM CEThttp://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/about-unodc/costas-corner/unodc-chief-talks-about-trafficking-challenge-.htmlRadio Free Europe/Radio Liberty caught up with Executive Director Costa on the sidelines of the UN-organized Vienna Forum to Fight Human Trafficking in mid-February to discuss international efforts to combat "modern-day slavery." He told correspondent Eugen Tomiuc about the birth of the Global Initiative To Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT) and the obstacles to more effective policing.Tue, 26 Feb 2008 2:52:00 PM CEThttp://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/about-unodc/costas-corner/cultures-of-exploitation.htmlI was buoyed by the institutional impact, awareness building and policy pledges made in last week's Vienna Forum to Fight Human Trafficking, all of which went beyond my expectations. Nevertheless, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and we will never end human trafficking until we change the way women are portrayed. I do not like to see women in burkas, nor do I appreciate seeing half-naked girls featured in provocative fashion ads, both of which may be a form of female exploitation.Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:00:00 PM CEThttp://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/about-unodc/costas-corner/a-journey-with-emma-thompson.htmlThe picture is all over the newspapers. British actress Emma Thompson with no shoes on, sitting on the podium of the Austrian Parliament. For those of us who witnessed this performance, it deserved an Oscar. She ran about, cried, tore out her hair - waking up an audience of sleepy parliamentarians with a moving monologue from the perspective of a trafficking victim. It was a spectacle never seen before in such hallowed halls. The mock trial that followed kept the audience glued to their seats. Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:00:00 PM CEThttp://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/about-unodc/costas-corner/aceh-paradise-rediscovered.htmlCan you think of a region so poor that income is less than one dollar a day per person: that has gone through a war against the central government for 30 years (1975-2005); that in 2004 was submerged by a tidal wave (the tsunami) that killed 170,000 people out of a total population of 3 million (in other words 1 person out of every 20); that was later submerged by an avalanche of assistance personnel that pushed local prices beyond what locals could afford?Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:00:00 PM CET