Issue 96 | June 1, 2017
A quick and easy update of the latest UNODC and international drugs and crime news. Can't read this newsletter? View it online
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UNODC News
UNODC Goodwill Ambassador Nadia Murad raises her voice to make world listen about human trafficking crimes
"I am so happy to hear that some of the girls kidnapped from their school in Chibok, Nigeria, were released," UNODC Goodwill Ambassador for Human Trafficking, Nadia Murad, told a packed meeting hall during the Crime Commission. Ms. Murad said she identified with the young survivors of the kidnapping by the armed group Boko Haram, but was also concerned about those who remained behind. [Read more]
MENA Region: UNODC launches training to disrupt terrorist financing
Tracking down and disrupting the financing of large terrorist networks such as Daesh (ISIL) remains a concern for the international community. In order to maximize States' responses to combat illicit financial flows and money laundering, UNODC and the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force conducted a four-day long regional training course in Doha. [Read more]
Tackling drug flows, organized crime and terrorism in airports focus of discussions at Crime Commission
Despite global efforts in fighting drug trafficking, transnational organized crime and acts of terrorism, such crimes continue to take place at the airports. In this context, the Airport Communication Project (AIRCOP) - a UNODC, WCO and INTERPOL initiative - aims to enhance the capacity of international airports in the detection and interdiction of illicit trafficking and suspicious passengers in origin, transit and destination countries. [Read more]
Crime Commission closes with call to remain united against cybercrime and terrorism
The Crime Commission's decisions strengthen UNODC's own efforts to tackle the challenges of organized crime and violent extremism and terrorism, UNODC Chief Yury Fedotov said during CCPCJ. "The broad spectrum of topics addressed this week, along with the nearly one hundred side events scheduled, show the richness and relevance of the CCPCJ," he said. [Read more]
"Here today, tomorrow, and the day after": How human security efforts are producing results in Peru
Elohim Monard from the Peruvian Interior Ministry tells an arresting story about an old neighbourhood in Peru's capital Lima. The neighbourhood called Matute had become a tough place to live and people started calling it "The Jungle" due to its many problems. "From the very start", Mr. Monard said, "government officials refused to call it The Jungle and insisted on calling it by its proper name." The officials hoped the practice would soon spread. [Read more]
Femicide Watch Platform prototype launched at 2017 UN Crime Commission
Violence against women and girls is still so deeply embedded in cultures around the world that it is almost invisible. Yet this brutality is not inevitable. Once recognised for what it is - a construct of power and a means of maintaining the status-quo - it can be dismantled. According to UNODC Global Study on Homicide, one of every two women victims of homicide is killed by her intimate partner or a family member. [Read more]
Organized crime groups profit from asymmetric globalization, says UNODC Chief
Transnational organized crime groups are exploiting gaps in law enforcement to create new markets and expand their operations, UNODC Executive Director, Yury Fedotov said at a high-level security conference recently. "Transnational organized crime groups are profiting from asymmetric globalization, a new generation of information and communication technologies, and new ways of doing business," UNODC Chief said. [Read more]
Football exhibition at 2017 UN Crime Commission showcases life skills development through sports
Under the Doha Declaration Global Programme, UNODC promotes sport as a critical tool to prevent youth crime. Through a life skills training programme, the initiative - Line Up Live Up - works with at-risk youth to build resilience to violence, crime and drug use. UNODC Executive Director, Yury Fedotov, highlighted the role of sport as a tool for to promote peace, tolerance and respect. [Read more]
At Crime Commission, Doha Declaration Global Programme highlights tangible ways in which SDGs are being achieved
On the side-lines of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) a series of events were held to highlight the Doha Declaration Global Programme and provide attendees with a look at the areas undertaken by UNODC since the initiation of this ambitious work last year. [Read more]
Crime Commission's relevance reinforced by broad spectrum of crime topics addressed, says UNODC Chief
The Crime Commission's decisions strengthen UNODC's own efforts to tackle the challenges of organized crime and violent extremism and terrorism, UNODC Chief Yury Fedotov said recently. "The broad spectrum of topics addressed this week, along with the nearly one hundred side events scheduled, show the richness and relevance of the CCPCJ," he said. [Read more]
In wake of 'WannaCry' attacks, UN cybersecurity expert discusses Internet safety
UNODC cybersecurity expert says that cybercrime is ultimately preventable, and that the internet - even the hidden so-called 'dark net' - has very good elements to it. That may seem difficult to believe for people in the 150 countries hit by the 'WannaCry' ransomware, some of whom have had to pay hundreds of dollars in digital currency to get back photos and other files on their laptops, or the families unable to board a train in Germany or see a doctor in the UK. [Read more]
Afghanistan: Total area under opium poppy cultivation expanding, threatening sustainable development in the country
The total area under opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan is expanding, leading to a significant increase in its production, according to the latest survey report released in recent days by UNODC. The report reveals that the total cultivation area in Afghanistan increased by 10 per cent from 183,000 to 201,000 hectares compared to the previous year. [Read more]
Feline inspiration for honest appraisal at the United Nations in Vienna
In Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, the following exchange takes place between Alice and the Cheshire Cat. Asked where she would like to go, Alice says, "I don't much care where," to which the Cat replies, "Then it doesn't matter which way you go." Knowing where you are going, understanding why one road is better than another is essential for success in any number of meaningful pursuits. [Read more]
Evaluation represents a crucial agent of change, brings marginalized groups to forefront, says UNODC Senior Official as annual meeting begins
To reinforce the importance of evaluation in the delivery of projects and programs globally that support vulnerable people and communities, the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) met in Vienna in recent weeks with the participation of international organizations, government representatives, civil society groups, academic entities, the private sector, and the evaluation community. [Read more]
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