United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

New York, 22 November 2022

Ms. Ghada Waly, UNODC Executive Director, briefed the Security Council on the current situation of piracy and organized crime at sea in the Gulf of Guinea, and proposed recommendations to further strengthen maritime security in the region. She noted the decrease in piracy incidents as a result of long-term multi-faceted work that includes the Yaoundé Maritime Security Architecture, increased naval patrols, and also, the successful piracy convictions in Nigeria and Togo in 2021. She emphasized the need to help Member States develop legal frameworks to criminalize piracy and reach a ‘legal finish’ to every case pursued, and the importance of a community-based crime prevention approach to address the root causes of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

New York, 8 November 2022

This event updated Member States on initiatives and projects to prevent youth violence and crime in and through sport. Also, it served as a forum to exchange learning and good practice on strengthening sport-based policy and programming in community-based crime prevention with a focus on youth, as well as the opportunities around major sports events’ legacy as well as discussed opportunities to further strengthen cooperation and partnerships to leverage contributions of sport in preventing violence and crime and building peaceful, safe communities.

New York, 7 November 2022

UNODC has developed a new Global Programme on People-centred Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice which places community and knowledge-based crime prevention at the centre of technical assistance initiatives and underlines respect for human rights as an objective and a “problem-solving measure”. Through this programme, the Office is able to better assist countries to implement effective crime prevention policies and programmes while strengthening partnership working with leading youth, education, sport and other stakeholders.

New York, 6 October 2022

At the invitation of Gabon, Ms. Ghada Waly, UNODC Executive Director, briefed the Security Council and emphasized that UNODC remains fully engaged to support Africa’s fight against the criminal trade in wildlife and natural resources. She expressed that UNODC is organising training workshops with UNICRI to strengthen the understanding and skills of criminal justice officials to work across agencies, share intelligence and information, and bring down terrorist networks and those who fund them. UNODC also works to strengthen inter-agency coordination and promote the financial investigation of natural resources and wildlife trafficking. Ms. Waly also highlighted UNODC’s youth-driven, peace-building project. In partnership with UNESCO, UNODC is empowering Youth to become ‘weavers of peace’ in the cross-border regions of Gabon, Cameroon, and Chad.

New York, 25 October 2022

UNODC has developed a comprehensive and innovative toolkit on the investigation and prosecution of trafficking in persons for organ removal. The toolkit consists of a virtual reality crime scene investigation tool which allows law enforcement to better identify and collect evidence from medical surgeries and clinical settings, a prosecution manual and a victim interview protocol. Together with WHO, OHCHR and OSCE, UNODC promotes the importance of multi-agency investigations and prosecutions and of including NGOs in the response to this crime, so that victims are earlier identified, assisted and protected. Find the toolkit here. 

New York, 25 October 2022

The Objective of this high-level special briefing was to inform New York-based Permanent Missions to the United Nations of key developments in prevention of and fight against corruption, with a focus on the increasing role and importance of anti-corruption in peace and developmental efforts; and to follow up to the political declaration adopted by the General Assembly at its special session against corruption (UNGASS) held in 2021; plans to mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of UNCAC; preparations for the 10th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention to be held in the United States of America in 2023.

New York, 24 October 2022

UNODC has developed a new Global Programme on Preventing and Countering Terrorism, which aims to serve as the framework for UNODC’s technical assistance in terrorism prevention. The Programme will initially run from 2022 until 2027. The Programme is structured along three outcomes that reflect UNODC’s mandates relevant to the context of terrorism prevention. Read more about the Concept Note here.

New York, 3 October 2022

UNODC Border Management Branch Director, Mr. Alan Cole, and UNODC Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Mr. Jeremy Douglas, delivered a briefing on Transnational Organized Crime and related security challenges in Southeast Asia at the UN Headquarter on 3 October 2022. The event was co-hosted by the Thailand Permanent Mission to UN. Delegates from 16 countries and organizations attended the briefing in person. Read more about the event's Concept Note here. 

29 August - 9 September 2022

The Ad-hoc Committee during its third session undertook the first readings of the provisions on international cooperation, technical assistance, preventative measures, mechanisms of implementation, final provisions and the preamble in accordance with the road map and mode of work. The Ad Hoc Committee will examine the written submissions of Member States, in the form of specific drafting suggestions or general comments on the provisions on technical assistance, articulated in line with the chapters contained in the approved structure of the convention.

New York, 27 September 2022

Ms. Ghada Waly, UNODC Executive Director briefed the Security council on the current situation in Afghanistan considering the Taliban de-facto authorities announced a complete ban on cultivation and production of all narcotics, while granting a grace period that practically exempted the most recent major harvest of opium poppy, which was concluded in July 2022. "We must prevent such threats from destabilizing the region and beyond, by monitoring the situation, improving regional capacities, and helping people."- Ms. Ghada Waly stated at the briefing. In support of the UN Transitional Engagement Framework for Afghanistan, UNODC is jointly working with UN partners on health interventions related to the use of illicit drugs in the south, north and central regions.

New York, 26 September 2022

Ms. Ghada Waly, UNODC Executive Director briefed the Security Council on the crises in Haiti that have led to a desperate, deteriorating situation and large-scale unrest in the nation as a result of the government's recent decision to stop subsidizing fuel. She also further pointed out that Haiti’s 1,500 kilometres of coastline and its long land border with the Dominican Republic makes it particularly vulnerable to illicit trafficking. She detailed UNODC’s work, including its efforts to address transborder challenges with regional actors, and stressed that investments in Haiti’s security sector must be complemented with similar efforts throughout the entire national criminal justice system. She emphasized the need for a better understanding of trafficking flows in Haiti, as this would facilitate the design of tailored criminal justice and border-management responses.

New York, 28 June 2022

The report was presented in its entirety on June 28, 2022, and Member States and civil society organizations had the opportunity to express their support and considerations. Consisting of five separate booklets, the World Drug Report 2022 provides an in-depth analysis of global drug markets and examines the nexus between drugs and the environment within the bigger picture of the Sustainable Development Goals, climate change and environmental sustainability. The report further emphasizes the importance of galvanizing the international community, governments, civil society and all stakeholders to take urgent action to protect people, including by strengthening drug use prevention and treatment and by tackling illicit drug supply.

New York, 7 June 2022

On 7 June 2022, UNODC NYLO held a high-level event to present UNODC Strategic Vision for Latin America and the Caribbean 2022-2025 with its co-sponsors - the Permanent Missions of Panama, Colombia, Peru and the Dominican Republic. The Strategic Vision provides a roadmap for UNODC’s partnership with member states in strengthening concerted efforts to prevent and tackle organized crime, drugs and corruption. It is also an opportunity for UNODC to enhance its operational effectiveness and make use of its available resources to maximize its impact. The event provided an important opportunity for member states to examine the intersectionality of issues confronting the region, express their support for the Strategic Vision, and underscore the need of international cooperation at both the regional and national levels to combat criminality. 

New York, 6 June 2022

On 6 June 2022, the Executive Director, Ms. Ghada Waly delivered the opening remarks at the General Assembly high level debate on "Enhancing youth mainstreaming in crime prevention policies." Mr. Junbert Parbon, the youth representative for Peace of the World Organization of the Scout Movement had the opportunity to give opening remarks alongside the Executive Director, Ms. Ghada Waly. This event built on the momentum created by the Kyoto Declaration and offered the possibility of exchanging national or regional practices and case studies on ways in which to leverage the issue of youth mainstreaming in crime prevention and criminal justice systems. Likewise, it emphasized that although youth face many challenges that make them particularly vulnerable to crime, violence and victimization, it is important to remember that, by virtue of their age, confidence, determination and self-empowerment, young people are also key agents of change in creating a better future and have great potential to advocate for themselves and their communities.

New York, 24 March 2022

On 24 March 2022, UNODC's NYLO, the Permanent Mission of Sweden, and the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations hosted a side event on the occasion of the Sixty-sixth Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

The event provided an important opportunity to examine the challenges faced by women in prisons around the world. As mentioned in the Resolution 2010/16 United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders, capacity building measures for women staff allows for the safe and rehabilitative management of facilities. The discussion raised calls for prison managers and policy makers to pay further attention to women in these facilities and raised awareness of the positive impact of women leaders/managers within prison settings.

Throughout the event the speakers, Mr. Antony Adams, Former Senior Operational Manager in Her Majesty's Prisons and Probation Service UK and UNODC Prison Advisor, Ms. Raya Khreis, Gender Expert, Amman, Jordan and Ms. Nelly Atieno Opiyo, Corrections Officer, Justice and Corrections Section, MINUSCA, Bangui, Central African Republic, highlighted key lessons from their experience in the field including the positive impact of mixed male/female senior management teams to develop adequate incarceration policies and greater deployment of women at senior level.

New York, 28 February - 11 March 2022

In accordance with the General Assembly in its resolution 74/247, the Ad-hoc Committee held its first session at United Nations Headquarters (UNHQ) in New York, United States of America, from 28 February to 11 March 2022. The Chair of the Committee, Ms. Faouzia Boumaiza Mebarki (Algeria), invited Member States to submit their views on the scope, objectives and structure (elements) of the new convention. The session was attended by representatives of 150 Member States of the United Nations. Also attending were observers from non-member States, representatives of entities of the United Nations system and observers frpm intergovernmental, non-governmental and other organizations. Read more on the session here.