Stories from UNODC Southern Africa

 

Building a culture of lawfulness through higher education in Mozambique

MAPUTO, Mozambique, 29 August 2023 – Education is a powerful vehicle to promote a culture of lawfulness and to develop long-lasting solutions to prevent crime and terrorism. In June 2022, UNODC and the Helsinki Rule of Law Centre launched an education-focused project that engages university professors from Mozambique, along with legal and judicial trainers Read More...

 

Data matters: Enhancing Mozambique’s capacity to produce and report drug-related data

MAPUTO, Mozambique, 31 August 2023 – Long a transit country for heroin trafficked along the so-called “Southern Route”, Mozambique has seen a dramatic increase in seizures of other drugs in the past years, signalling its growing importance in other drug trafficking routes. Read More...

 

Training: Empowering South African Local Drug Action Committees through UNODC ROSAF's Health Programme: Strengthening Harm Reduction Initiatives

The United Nation’s Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for Southern Africa’s Health Programme facilitated a pioneering capacitation workshop on harm reduction, with selected Local Drug Action Committee (LDACs) representatives during Africa Policy Week; on the 14th of August 2023 in Cape Town. Read More...

 

UNODC ROSAF’s Health Programme Empowers South Africa to Address HIV Among Stimulant Drug Users

In a groundbreaking initiative, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for Southern Africa's (ROSAF) Health Programme conducted a pivotal training session from August 18th to 20th, 2023, focusing on combating HIV among stimulant drug users. Read More...

 

Unlocking potential: Female inmates in Mozambique graduate from two-month IT basic training course

Maputo, Mozambique – On 9 August 2023, 11 female inmates from the Ndlavela women’s prison in Mozambique received their training certificates in completion of a two-month IT course on Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Read More...

 

International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism

Sometimes in life, you find yourself caught between a rock and a hard place. Sometimes the rock is rent, and the hard place is health insurance. Sometimes the rock is your children’s sacrifice, and the hard place is forceful marriage to a member of a terrorist group. Read More...

 

Harm reduction and Opioid Agonist Treatment Training for health services officials from the Department of Correctional Services, South Africa

On the 25 - 26 July 2023, UNODC ROSAF’s Health Programme conducted a harm reduction - opioid agonist therapy (OAT) capacity building training for 20 officials from the Department of Correctional Services, in Pretoria, South Africa. Read More...

 

UNODC and partners convene first-ever community forum of women with HIV/AIDS who inject drugs in Mozambique.

Maputo (Mozambique), 30June 2023 – According to the 2023 UNODC World Drug Report, injecting drug use is on the rise, with over 13.2 million injecting drug users (IDU) worldwide in 2021, up from 11.2 million in 2020. However, despite the growing number, only 1 in 5 people with drug use disorders received drug related or specific treatment in 2021. Read More...

 

Establishing and delivering evidence-based, high-quality opioid agonist therapy services South Africa delegation to Kenya

From 15th until 19th of May 2023, UNODC organized, in collaboration with GlobalFund, SANAC and South to South Learning Network, a Harm Reduction Learning Visit to Kenya for delegations from WHO as well as various stakeholders from Central Drug Authority, National Department of Health, South African National AIDS Council, Department of Correctional Services, Civil Society, NACOSA - Networking HIV & AIDS. Community of Southern Africa, South African Police Service and Representatives of People Who Inject Drugs. Read More..

 

Unity in Action: Government of Mozambique joins forces with International Partners on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

Inhambane, Mozambique – Mozambique’s #BlueHeart Campaign, marking World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, took place between 24 and 28 July in the province of Inhambane. in 2022 alone, 38 victims of human trafficking were recruited in Inhambane to be exploited for labour in South Africa, according to the Office of the Attorney-General of Mozambique. Read More...

 

World day Against Trafficking in Persons day 2023

As we commemorate the 2023 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, Mr. Kondwani Kamanga, the Desk Officer on trafficking in person at the Ministry of Homeland Security in Republic of Malawi gives an in-depth analysis about this multi-billion dollar illegal but complex activity, which is also described as modern-day slavery. Read More...

 

World Hepatitis Day 2023 – Interview with Koketso Mokubane – SANPUD

In commemoration of World Hepatitis Day 2023, we bring you an exclusive interview with Koketso Mokubane, the Community Linkage Officer for SANPUD (South African Network of People who Use Drugs). Koketso's story is one of resilience, determination, and triumph over adversity. Read More...

 

“This place represents a second chance for me”: UNODC celebrates International Nelson Mandela Day in Mozambique with youth inmates and prison staff.

Boane, 20 July 2023 – The global prison population has increased by 17 per cent since the start of the 21st century, with over 11 million people in prisons worldwide, surpassing the population of Greece, Sweden and South Sudan. At the same time, nearly one-third of prisons in reporting countries operate over 100 per cent of intended capacity. Read more...

 

CCPCJ side event on Survivor-Centered Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response in Criminal Justice Systems

Dr. Linda Naidoo, Coordinator of the GBV Programme for UNODC in the SADC Region, focused her talk on a mock trial, developed in partnership with the Namibian judiciary. She pointed out that gender inequality and intersecting forms of discrimination hinder women’s ability to report GBV and access justice. What is needed is a survivor-centred, justice response to GBV through a gender-responsive institution to meet women’s diverse needs. Read more...

 

World Drug Day 2023 in Southern Africa – Growing Engagement and Ownership by State and Local Actors

The world drug problem is a complex issue that affects millions of people worldwide. Many people who use drugs face stigma and discrimination, which can further harm their physical and mental health and prevent them from accessing the help they need. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) recognizes the importance of taking a people-centred approach to drug policies, with a focus on human rights, compassion, and evidence-based practices. Read More...

 

Empowering legal and judicial practitioners to ensure sustainable, coordinated and robust counter terrorism efforts in Mozambique

Effective interagency collaboration is a key component of combatting the threat of terrorism. It enables multi-disciplinary agencies to work together in identifying, disrupting, and preventing terrorist activities. At the same time, a strong cadre of legal and judicial practitioners capable of delivering effective training programs to prosecutors, judges, and law enforcement officials is crucial to ensuring long-term and robust action in the field of counter terrorism. Read More...

 

ANNUAL REPORT

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Southern Africa has released its 2022 Annual Report, showcasing the results achieved through UNODC's global and regional programs throughout the year. The report offers a brief overview of key events implemented as part of the UNODC's Regional Program “Making the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Region Safer from Crime and Drugs”. Read More...

 

UNODC IMPROVES MOZAMBIQUE PORT SECURITY

Maputo, 19 April 2023 – The Mozambique Channel is one of the primary passageways for movement of illicit goods across the Indian Ocean West region, playing a crucial role along the Southern Route for heroin and methamphetamine trafficking. Read More...

 

Upper Council of the Judiciary of Mozambique Advances Ethical Excellence with Launch of Code of Ethics

Maputo, Mozambique. Establishing a justice system that prioritizes independence, effectiveness, transparency, protects human rights and strives to be accessible to all is a shared value worldwide. A robust justice system promotes economic stability and socioeconomic development. Read More...

 

Cyberviolence, a rising threat in the Digital Age

This is the downside of technological advancement, which is meant to be an empowering tool. Information Communication Technologies were hailed for providing opportunities for the full enjoyment of human rights, including the empowerment of women. But they also opened new channels for the perpetuation of violence against women and children. Read More...

 

When culture clashes with criminal law: Traditional Leadership has the potential to play a positive role in countering Gender Based Violence.

How should criminal law deal with a situation where a person charged with a criminal offence, asserts that they were simply engaging in a customary practice that is widely accepted as appropriate in traditional society? How should criminal law deal with a situation in which a person murders or assaults someone, because they believe that the victim was using witchcraft to cause grave harm to them or their family members? Read More...

 

Launch of a GENDER RESPONSIVE CORRECTIONAL CENTRE for Incarcerated Women in South Africa

The launch of the Gender Responsive Correctional Centre for Incarcerated Women in South Africa is the first of its kind, in South Africa and the African continent. This Centre responds to the specific needs of women in conflict with the law (WICL) by  following the United Nations Bangkok Rules and the Nelson Mandela Rules. Read more...

 

UNODC commemorates International Women’s Day by hosting a special briefing on women and the law, rural women and access to drug-related treatment and protection from gender-based violence.

This special briefing, in observance of International Women’s Day on the 8th of March 2022, provided a briefing of a pilot project on Women in Conflict with the Law, and introduced and provided an overview of the Linking Rural Women Who Use Drugs (WWUD) to HIV Testing, Sexual Reproductive Health and Ongoing GBV support. Read More...

 

UNODC Zambia supports the commemoration of the World AIDS day 2022 at Kafinsa Correctional facility in Ndola, Copperbelt Province

In 2018, it was estimated that 4.6 per cent of people held in prisons are living with HIV, indicating that people in prison are 7.2 times more likely to be living with HIV than adults in the general population. In Zambia, national statistics show that there are close to 25,000 inmates housed in various correctional centres in the country. Read More...

 

What it Takes to Create Awareness for the Crime of Trafficking in Persons

Misunderstood and misidentified, human trafficking is usually anything but human trafficking. All too often, the lesser crimes of gender-based violence, assault, child abuse or labour violations are what perpetrators are charged with. The result is that relatively few cases of trafficking in persons – which carries heavy prison sentences - make it to court. Reversing this trend requires a high level of awareness on the tell-tale signs of what constitutes trafficking in persons. Read More...

 

UNODC and Central Drug Authority organize a Collaborative meeting to discuss an integrated approach for the implementation of harm reduction and Opioid Substitution Therapy in South Africa

UNODC, in partnership with the Central Drug Authority, organised a meeting to increase the support of relevant government and multi-sectoral structures for the implementation of harm reduction activities in South Africa, with a particular focus on Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST). Read More...

 

Officers of Mozambique’s National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) participate in exchange visit with Italian counterparts

Rome (Italy) – Illicit trafficking and other transnational organized crimes continue to represent a significant threat to peace, stability and hinder development in Mozambique, a country part of a strategic corridor for heroin and cocaine trafficking. Read More...

 

Assessing Malawi’s Response to Wildlife and Forest Crime Results in Promising Ways Forward

Salima, Malawi 05 – 07 October 2022. Wildlife and forest crime can contribute to the decline of at-risk species negatively impacting biodiversity. These crimes also result in reduced economic opportunities for communities as well as security threats for the whole society, given the infiltration of organized crime and related corruption instances. Read More...

 

Draft Law Proposes Compensation for Victims of Trafficking in Mozambique

A revised draft law on trafficking in persons proposes the creation of a fund to compensate victims of this crime in Mozambique, in line with the spirit of the Trafficking in Persons Protocol which stipulates procedures to ensure that victims have access to compensation. Mozambique is just the latest country seeking to adopt this specification into national legislation. Read More...

 

UNODC kicks off training on port security for the first time in the Port of Lobito, Angola

Lobito, 18 November 2022 – Due to its strategic position on the Atlantic coast, about 30 km to the north of the city of Benguela, the Port of Lobito is the Angola’s second busiest port, handling approximately 2 million tons of cargos per year, and one of the most important gateways to both Atlantic shipping lines.

 

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime working together with Namibia to improve Security in the Ports of Luderitz and Walvis Bay

Walvis Bay, Namibia 21 November 2022 – In line with the United Nation’s Office on Drugs and Security (UNODC) Strategic Vision for Africa 2030, UNODC conducted 4-weeks of training on Port Security with officials from Namibia under the EU Programme on Port Security and Safety of Navigation. Read More...

 

Formation de renforcement des capacités pour les agents des douanes et de la sécurité postale afin de lutter efficacement contre les NSP et le trafic d’opioïdes en RDC.

8-9 novembre 2022 Kinshasa, RDC Le Programme mondial d’interdiction rapide des substances dangereuses (GRIDS) de l’Organe international de contrôle des stupéfiants (OICS) a organisé une formation avec des agents de la RDC pour lutter contre le trafic de nouvelles substances psychotropes (NSP), d’opioïdes synthétiques et d’autres substances dangereuses dans la région. Read More...

 

UNODC MOZAMBIQUE CO-ORGANIZES THE ANNUAL JUDICIAL CONFERENCE FOR SOUTHERN AFRICAN CHIEF JUSTICES

Maputo, Mozambique. On 23-29 October 2022, the Southern African Chief Justices' Forum (SACJ Forum) conducted its Annual General Meeting, which this year focused on ‘Judicial Accountability and the Role of the Judiciary in the Fight against Terrorism’. Read More...

 

 

Regional Case Digest for Southern Africa assists judicial officers to prosecute suspected traffickers

Pretoria (South Africa), 4 November 2022 – It was a victory for law enforcement against a crime that had originated in cyberspace. The accused, ML, had been using Facebook over a period of four years to lure and groom young girls by promising modelling jobs and money. Read more...

 

Countering forest loss in Africa through anti-corruption mechanisms

Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), 2 November 2022 – Forests are a vital component of the earth’s ecosystem, providing humans, animals and plants with clean drinking water, preventing natural disasters, and helping to slow climate change. Roughly one-third of humanity directly depends on forests and forest products, yet in the past 30 years forest destruction has been devastating*. Read More...

 

UNODC and COMESA strengthen Malawi Judiciary on Asset Forfeiture

Blantyre Malawi August 2022 - The UNODC, through the Global Program Against Money Laundering in collaboration with the Common Market of South and Eastern Africa (COMESA), organised and hosted a train the trainer workshop on asset forfeiture for the Malawi Judiciary from 18-19 August 2022.

Mozambique Supreme Court makes inroads in the fight against wildlife crimes

Mozambique, Maputo. In recent years, crimes related to wildlife and the environment have rapidly expanded in the whole Southern African region. Organized syndicates, mainly working with local counterparts, have established highly organized routes to traffic wildlife products to other regions in the world, generating significant profits. Read More...

Traditional Leadership have the potential to play a positive role in addressing factors that can either fuel or mitigate GBV

South Africa- Violence against women is a widespread and a serious violation of human rights. Although the rates at which women are exposed to violence, vary from one country to another, statistics indicate that violence against women is a universal phenomenon and women are subjected to different forms Read more..

Implementation of Comprehensive, Evidence-Based HIV Interventions Among People Who Use Drugs in ZM

UNODC and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (The Global Fund) have co-organized a series of webinars in Africa with the aim of scaling up harm reduction interventions in the region. On 11th August 2022, the last of the series was organized in Zimbabwe by UNODC in close partnership with The Global Fund and WHO under the theme “Implementation of Comprehensive, Evidence-Based HIV Interventions Among People Who Use Drugs in Zimbabwe. Read More..

 

Iconic School Hosts World Day Against Trafficking Event in SA

A popular rural school in South Africa’s Limpopo province hosted this year’s main commemoration of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons jointly organized by the Department of Justice and Correctional Services, and the United National Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Read more...

 

 

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